


You'll Always Have Me

by nerdy_farm_girl



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Derek is a Good Dad, F/M, Future Fic, I Don't Even Know, Kid Fic, Single Parent Derek Hale, This is a love story, lots and lots of swears, sheriff x melissa are the real OTP, there really isn' a plot, this is just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 14:16:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3813604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdy_farm_girl/pseuds/nerdy_farm_girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>See, Lydia knew that the baby belonged to Derek. She knew her name was Nicole. And she knew that the kid’s mother had left Derek after she found out about the whole ‘werewolves are real’ thing. (She also knew that Stiles had been all too excited to use the stupid ass wand thing he’d built that looked just like the little stick from Men in Black so that he could wipe her memory. While wearing a black suit. And explaining that this was why you should always get your dogs vaccinated for rabies.) But knowing that a Hale child existed and seeing it with her own eyes was a totally different thing. Because Lydia hadn’t been back to Beacon Hills since her senior year of college. Which was three years ago now. But life had happened. Work had happened. School had happened. And she wasn’t about to give up on her quest for a Fields Medal to run around with a pack of werewolves. </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Or: The one where Derek has a kid who falls in love with Lydia. Lydia falls in love with Derek. And the pack are a bunch of meddling pain in the asses</p>
            </blockquote>





	You'll Always Have Me

**Author's Note:**

> So my apologies ahead of time... this is completely self indulgent fluff (I think I was reading too many sterek kid!fics and it just got out of hand). Daddy Derek just does things for me. The working title of this was HSDDH (Hot Single Dad Derek Hale), but someone else came up with that trope and I'm not about to steal it. that being said, I don't really know what happened here... it just kind of got out of hand. Some notes:  
> \- there really is a lot of unnecessary swearing. not even kidding  
> \- in this Cora is a beta. I am just too lazy to try and deal with two alphas, and I wanted her back  
> \- I tried my best to keep Derek's daughter's development (speaking, walking,etc) at the right age level, but it is HARD. And I don't have much experience with little kids (after like 5 years old I'm an expert but...), so hopefully nothing is totally wrong.  
> \- I really only focus on derek & lydia's relationship. there's not a lot of in depth work on anyone's careers or anything like that. again, i'm being self-indulgent here (it was never supposed to be 20K+)  
> \- I have nothing to say for myself regarding the group text messages... i think I've lost my mind  
> So, I hope you enjoy... this is just a fun one :)
> 
> All mistakes are my own. Un-betaed.
> 
> I do not own any of the characters of Teen Wolf. Please do not re-post my work without permission. Thanks for reading!

**_May 15th_ **

Lydia wasn’t exactly sure what she had expected when she knocked on the eerily normal front door of the rebuilt Hale house, but it certainly wasn’t Cora Hale holding a screaming baby.

“Cora?” Lydia raised an eyebrow, earning herself a signature Hale eye roll combined with an exasperated sigh and a chin jerk. It seemed things hadn’t really changed all that much since she’d left Beacon Hills.

See, Lydia _knew_ that the baby belonged to Derek. She _knew_ her name was Nicole. And she _knew_ that the kid’s mother had left Derek after she found out about the whole ‘werewolves are real’ thing. (She also knew that Stiles had been all too excited to use the stupid ass wand thing he’d built that looked just like the little stick from Men in Black so that he could wipe her memory. While wearing a black suit. And explaining that _this was why you should always get your dogs vaccinated for rabies_.) But _knowing_ that a Hale child existed and seeing it with her own eyes was a totally different thing. Because Lydia hadn’t been back to Beacon Hills since her senior year of college. Which was three years ago now. But life had happened. Work had happened. School had happened. And she wasn’t about to give up on her quest for a Fields Medal to run around with a pack of werewolves.

As life seemed to work though, she got offered a job at Beacon Hills State University, working in the math department while continuing with her master’s (and then doctoral) degree online. And it was easier to return to Beacon Hills. It was even easier to rent a house with Stiles (who was currently teaching history at Beacon Hills High School and coaching lacrosse with Finstock - which, hysterical) and Danny, who had launched a tech start-up right out of high school and was now a twenty five year old millionaire. Lydia had only just moved in with them three days ago, and they were the only pack members she’d seen. Which was kind of weird. But Scott was still in vet school, and he was really the only one who could be expected to barge in out of nowhere. As a result, a special ‘pack meeting’ had been called at the newly renovated Hale house to welcome Lydia back. Which was totally unnecessary, but she wasn’t about to fight it. Unfortunately, Stiles spending all of his time with petulant teenagers _did not_ make him any easier to reason with. At all.

“Come on, close the door!” Cora yelled over her shoulder. “You’re the first one here, Glarek went out to get some snacks.” Rolling her eyes, Lydia followed Cora into the house, eyeing her and the baby warily before settling next to them on the couch. It wasn’t that she didn’t like kids, they didn’t necessarily disgust her or anything, but she wasn’t all goo-goo about them like some other people (cough Kira cough). So it was a surprise when the child instantly quieted, turning her face away from Cora’s chest to look at Lydia. She held in a gasp. Nicole Hale was barely a year old and she was already beautiful.

“You have your father’s eyes don’t you kid?” She whispered, reaching out a hesitant finger and tracing the girl’s chubby cheek. Cora snorted, giving Lydia a _look_ that she did not fully appreciate.

“You know what Derek’s eyes look like from memory?” She raised an eyebrow, which caused Lydia to scoff.

“Don’t be stupid Cora. You know that your brother had very distinctive eyes. I’d have to be blind not to…” She trailed off, frowning at the baby, who was now holding her arms out to Lydia, begging to be held. “Um…” She glanced up at Cora, whose mouth had popped open in a surprised ‘o’. “Should I?” Cora nodded vigorously, handing the baby carefully over to Lydia.

Nicole babbled something unintelligible as she was passed over, her little hands grasping instantly at the fabric of Lydia’s blouse before she buried her sticky face in her neck.

“Unbelievable.” Cora whispered, looking like she wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Lydia frowned at her, rubbing gently at Nicole’s back with one hand, and cradling her bottom with the other. (Look, she _knew_ how to hold a baby. She just didn’t go out of her way to do it.) Nicole seemed to be settling in for the long haul, one tiny hand resting on Lydia’s neck, the other curled around a lock of red hair as she snuffled happily into the curve of her shoulder. Within seconds, she had fallen asleep. And Lydia had no idea what was happening with her life anymore.

“What are you doing?” She narrowed her eyes at Cora, who was tapping at her phone in a manner that could only be described as gleeful.

“I’m telling everyone to be quiet when they get here.” She whispered, her eyes still holding an unnerving glint.

“Why?” Lydia refused to whisper, keeping her voice at its regular volume and tone. Like a normal well-adjusted adult.

“Do you know how often this little monster sleeps?” Cora hissed, eyes flashing gold briefly. “The answer to that is NEVER. She only sleeps with Derek. In fact, if Derek isn’t here, she usually spends the entire time wailing because she has extreme separation anxiety! The only person who she ‘sometimes’ is good for is Stilinski. And Scott. But that doesn’t count ‘cause he’s the alpha.”

Lydia frowned some more at that little tidbit of information, before shrugging slightly.

“She must just be tired then.” Cora just shook her head, proceeding to snap a picture that was undoubtedly unflattering.

It didn’t help that once her friends began arriving, they all stood around the edge of the living room, gaping. Not talking, not laughing, just staring.

“What is the matter with you guys?” Lydia grumbled, shifting slightly so that Nicole’s weight rested more firmly in the crook of her arm. “Can someone please explain to me why you’re all looking at me like I just grew an extra head?” Stiles looked like he was considering actually answering her, but then the front door opened and then shut with a loud bang, followed by heavy footsteps. Nicole muttered something that sounded suspiciously like Da-Da before snuggling deeper against Lydia, sucking her thumb into her mouth, a lock of hair still clutched in her fist.

“Why are you all so…?” Derek trailed off as he stepped into the living room, his eyes going wide as he took in the scene.

“Not you too,” Lydia grumbled, rolling her eyes for what must’ve been the eighteenth time in the last ten minutes. “Please tell me you still have the ability to speak.” But Derek just looked at her. So Lydia looked back, determinedly not noticing just how good time and fatherhood had been to Derek. He hadn’t changed all that much physically. The years had been good to him, his face seemed kinder, softer. His hair and beard were a little longer than they used to be, and his eyes were surrounded by laugh lines that definitely didn’t have _any_ effect on Lydia whatsoever. At all. “You know guys, this really isn’t fun if you all just stare at me. I could sit and be stared at in the coffee shop on Main or at work. I don’t need to be here for that.”

 

“Why does she like you?” Stiles whined, finally moving and flopping down into an easy chair. The others seemed to take Nicole’s continued silence as a good sign, all of them suddenly dropping into chairs and couches and settling onto cushions. Derek hesitantly sat on Lydia’s other side, his eyes trained on his daughter.

“Maybe babies like the smell of death.” Lydia snapped at Stiles, trying not to smile at the smirk she got in return.

“You don’t smell like- why would you - what?” Derek was blinking at her, looking for all the world like a confused puppy. It was not at all adorable.

“Stiles informed me that banshees smell like death.” She replied simply, shrugging again. Derek’s brow furrowed slightly before he turned and glared at the wolves in the room.

“You all let Lydia believe that she smelled like death, just because Stiles said so?” Scott scuffed his boot against the floor guiltily, while Malia, Isaac and Cora remained nonplussed. Stiles however, was grinning proudly.

“According to Scott I smell like sweaty gym shoes, so death really isn’t all that bad.”

“But Lydia doesn’t smell bad, she smells really-” Derek’s eyes widened suddenly, cutting off his sentence abruptly before facing Lydia. “You don’t smell like death. And we’re all acting weird because you’re pretty much the first person she’s ever fallen asleep on besides me.”

“She literally reached for her Der,” Cora said, leaning around Lydia to smirk at her brother. “Nic was in the middle of a temper tantrum and then she just wanted Lydia, and fell asleep on her.” Derek glared at his sister, before reaching out and rubbing a hand over Nicole’s dark hair.

Everyone froze as the baby leaned back in Lydia’s arms, rubbing sleepily at her eyes.

“Hey princess,” Lydia said quietly, smiling when the baby let out a little giggle and reached towards her face. “You’re a pretty little thing aren’t you?” Nicole grabbed for Lydia’s nose, giggling more when the redhead leaned forward and rubbed their noses together. “I think I’ve found a kid I actually like.” Lydia shared with Nicole, trying valiantly to ignore how out of character she was acting. It was instinct though, pure instinct, and she wasn’t about to let this pretty little baby start crying. “Guys, I know I haven’t been home in three years,” She lifted her head to glare at her friends. “But I had kind of expected something other than you all just staring at me for an hour. I don’t think Nicole is going to start freaking out if we talk like normal human beings.”

“I think we’re in the Twilight Zone…” Isaac announced after another moment of silence, his eyes fixed on Nicole, who currently had fistfuls of Lydia’s hair in her hands. “Remember when that pack from San Francisco came through and the kids they had with them literally hid from Lydia?”

“Or how Deaton’s nephew used to stand perfectly still thinking she couldn’t see him.” Kira offered.

“Or how babies literally start crying when she walks by them in the supermarket.” Stiles smirked proudly.

“Okay no, _you_ made those babies cry, not me.” Lydia hissed flipping him off. Seeming to sense Lydia’s irritation, Nicole squirmed in her lap before looking over her shoulder and _growling_ at Stiles.

And then Scott started to giggle, followed by Isaac and Danny’s big belly laughs. Soon everyone was laughing wildly, tears streaming down their cheeks and hands slapping against knees. Lydia looked between Nicole (who had returned to snuffling at her neck) and Derek, who was watching his daughter with awe.

“I don’t really know what’s happening anymore.” She said quietly, swallowing hard when Derek met her gaze. This was just… weird. Everything about today was weird. Derek just stared at her a minute, his eyes flickering across her face.

“Me either,” he murmured softly, caressing Nicole gently. “Me either.”

 

* * *

 

**_June 1st_ **

It was not a thing. This was not becoming a thing.

* * *

**_June 18th_ **

It was totally a thing. Lydia was in love with Nicole Talia Hale.

It had started innocently enough. Since it was summer, Stiles usually watched Nicole on the days that Derek worked first or second shift at the station. Cora worked nights as an EMT (which Lydia found _hilarious_ because the girl had about zero sympathy, but whatever), and would take over for Stiles once she was up for the day. Lydia was working from home all summer, the spare room/office she shared with Danny filled to the brim with whiteboards and papers covered in complex (to the uneducated eye) equations.

On one morning in mid-June, she had just settled down at her desk with a cup of coffee when her phone started going off to the tune of JT bringing sexy back.

“Stiles.” Lydia half-growled, hating basically everything that he stood for.

“Hey Lyds! My beautiful, strawberry blonde banshee queen! How are you on this fine morning?”

“Stiles. We live together. It is nine in the morning. Why are you calling me?” As she spoke, she could hear wailing in the background on Stiles’ end, and suddenly it all made sense. 

“Listen, Glarek-” Lydia snorted at the nickname. “Left like two hours ago for his shift and Nicole won’t. Stop. Crying. Please come help me. I’m at my wits end with this kid!”

“Stilesssss” Lydia whined, resisting the urge to bang her head on the table. “I have work-”

“You can take a few hours off to come play house with me Martin.” Stiles snapped, his voice losing all the warm edges. “This isn’t funny anymore. I can’t. I just. I need you.”

“I don’t-”

“Lydia.” Stiles actually sounded like he was going to cry. “Please.” She sighed, already standing and slipping her feet into a pair of shoes.

“Fine. Be there in fifteen.”

 

It actually took twenty minutes, but she arrived bearing gifts of iced coffee and donuts, so Stiles was mollified. Nicole stopped crying as soon as Lydia was in her line of sight, reaching out for her with one chubby arm and wiping at her tear stained cheeks with her other hand.

“Hey Coley Bug,” Lydia cooed, scooping the little girl into her arms. “How’s my favorite wolf?”

“Don’t let Scott hear that,” Stiles muttered, watching the pair of them curiously. “How did you know Derek calls her that?”

“Calls her what?” Lydia frowned at him over Nicole’s head, bouncing the baby gently on her hip.

“Coley Bug.” Stiles’ eyes narrowed. “Only Derek calls her that.”

“Well sorrrryyyyy,” Lydia rolled her eyes as she sat down at the kitchen table, pulling out her laptop. “I won’t call her that anymore, jeez.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Stiles huffed, flopping into the chair across from her. “I just thought it was weird that you called her that. And that she likes you so much. And that she’s literally scenting you. And falling asleep on you.”

“She’s probably just tired from screaming.” She said, opening up her email with one hand. “And she can’t help her instincts.”  Stiles was quiet, watching the both of them with warm eyes. Lydia responded to a few work related emails, rubbing her free hand absently up and down Nicole’s spine.

“She’s so cute.” She said suddenly. “I can’t believe her mother would just leave her like this.”

“Sarah was a b-i-t-c-h.” Stiles huffed, his eyes flashing with anger. “God I just…” His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists. “I didn’t like her from the start. None of us did, really.” Lydia had given up completely on doing anything work related. Gossiping with Stiles was _way_ more important. Instead she shifted Nicole to a more comfortable position and fixed her eyes on her friend.

“Why was Derek with her then?” She knew it was a blunt question. But it had to be asked. Derek was a delicate soul, as much as he liked to act like the big bad. He didn’t deserve heartbreak, and Lydia thought that the pack would have protected him. Stiles sighed and leaned back in his chair, long fingers absently pulling the donut in front of him to pieces.

“They started off as friends with benefits I guess, or just like booty call, not really friends. So… we all decided not to get involved. Like, after Brae took off, he’d been basically celibate for a couple of years, and you know…” Stiles’ lips curled up into a smirk. “No one wanted to get in the way of old Sourwolf finally getting some. Who’d of thought that a guy who looks like that would willfully go years without sex right?” Lydia rolled her eyes at that one, even though she kind of agreed. Because sex with Derek Hale was probably amazing. Not that she’d ever thought about it or anything. Nope. Never. “So we all just let it go. I mean, she was completely human anyways. They met while Derek was out jogging or something lame. And at some point, they transitioned from fuck buddies to kinda boyfriend/girlfriend, and he started bringing her around. And it was so painfully obvious that he was head over heels for her, and she was just… ughh” Stiles sighed, cracking his neck before running (hopefully) donut free fingers through his hair. “It was like she only was with him for the physical stuff. Like, he’d make one of his nerdy pop culture references or stupid dry jokes or something and she wouldn’t even laugh. She didn’t even acknowledge it. And we didn’t know what to do. Scott tried to talk to him and he got all defensive and said some hurtful stuff about how not everyone gets to have perfect relationships all the time, and he just kind of stopped hanging out with us. It wasn’t long after that that she got pregnant. I’m pretty sure he had to beg the bitch to keep Nicole, and that was before he even told her about werewolves. God.” He let out another sigh, and Lydia could feel her heart breaking for Derek.

“I wish…” She trailed off, not sure where that thought was going. “Derek just deserves so much better you know? He’s obviously a really good dad, and he’s the town’s apparent favorite deputy, and he managed to rebuild this house and reconnect with his sister, and he just keeps getting shit on…”

“He needs a good woman.” Stiles was looking at Lydia with a sly smile on his face, one she didn’t particularly care for.

“Whatever it is you’re thinking, stop.” She ordered. “The last thing anyone needs is one of your stupid ideas.”

“My ideas are not stupid.”

“Remember when you want to chloroform Liam and throw him in the lake?”

“Yeah but-”

“Or when you made me and Danny wingman for you at Jungle?”

“That doesn’t-”

“Or when you tried to convince Isaac to go cliff diving?”

“He needed-”

“Nope. Your ideas are dumb. End of story.”

“Hey, first off, rude! I am an accomplished high school history teacher, I am not stupid.” Stiles hissed, eyes flashing.

“That’s not what I said.”

“AND! And, I’ll have you know, that my _ideas_ have saved the pack’s collective asses hundreds of times over.”

Heaving a sigh, Lydia pushed herself away from the table, wandering towards the staircase. If Nicole was going to fall asleep, she might as well put her down in her crib. And she was so done arguing with Stiles.

“Where’s Coley’s room?” She asked over her shoulder, surprised to find Stiles right on her heels.

“I’ll show you,” He said as he pushed past her, leading her up the stairs and into the first bedroom on the right. Which was definitely not Nicole’s room. “Derek is too much of a helicopter parent to keep her crib in her room. He literally slept on the floor in her bedroom for two months before Cora figured it out.” Lydia nodded slightly, heading towards the absolutely adorable little crib in the corner (and resolutely ignoring the fact that the room smelled distinctly of _Derek)._ “Also, I feel like I should let you know, that whatever you’re doing, isn’t going to work.”

She frowned at him over her shoulder, but decided not to respond. Instead, she leaned over the crib, gently attempting to dislodge Nicole’s grip on her blouse. Nicole awoke and burst into tears, her eyes flickering between their beautiful natural green-blue-gray and bright beta yellow. Lydia instantly clutched the child back to her chest, letting out a sigh of relief when she quieted.

“Let’s try this again.” She murmured. Nicole screamed as soon as he legs hit the blanket, her little feet kicking violently.

“Told ya,” Stiles smirked from the doorway, looking way too amused for this. 

“A little help would be nice Stilinski!” She hissed, pulling Nicole back into her arms. The girl quieted again, snuggling contently into her embrace.

“What exactly are you trying to accomplish?” Stiles asked, walking past her to face plant into Derek’s bed.

“I just thought she should nap before lunch… Are you sure you should be in Derek’s bed? Isn’t it like a territory thing?”

Stiles stretched and yawned loudly before flipping over onto his back and grinning at her.

“I’m like 99.99% sure that you are permanently attached to that child until her father gets back to forcibly remove her from you. So you might as well get comfy in the lion’s den. Or wolf’s den.” He patted the spot beside him as he spoke, looking for all the world like he was putting some master plan into motion. Which Lydia did not doubt for one minute. Against her better judgment, she crawled onto Derek’s giant bed, lying on her back and allowing Nicole to curl up on her chest.

“This is a bad idea.” She mumbled, even as she gave in to the temptation to turn her head and breathe in the essence of _Derek_ that clung to the pillows. Stiles was smirking. She didn’t even have to look at him to know. The asshole was radiating smugness.

“This is a great idea.”

* * *

“Oh shit.” The sound of Stiles whispering should have roused her, but Lydia was too damn comfortable, and she didn’t care. She was safe. Something inside of her instinctively knew that. And Nicole was safe too, curled up against her on the bed. Wait.

She was in Derek’s bed.

With his kid.

And Stiles had mysteriously disappeared.

With a groan she rolled onto her back, rubbing at her sleep-crusted eyes. They’d spent the rest of the day holed up in Derek’s bedroom, with Stiles running back and forth to the kitchen and living room to bring up milk and food and toys and books and whatever Lydia forced him to bring her. It honestly hadn’t been all that bad. And she kind of sort of fell in love with Nicole Talia Hale. Like deeply in love. Like live for you, die for you, change your stinky diapers for you, love.

The baby in question let out a high pitched whine, rolling in her sleep towards the heat of Lydia’s body. She lifted her to her chest, unable to hide the smile on her face when the baby gurgled happily and fell back asleep.

“You’re really good with her for someone that doesn’t like kids.”

Derek leaned against the door jam, hands stuffed into the pockets of his deputy uniform and a soft smile on his face. Lydia found herself smiling slightly, determinedly not noticing the way he was basically busting out of his uniform’s shirt. (Don’t even get her started on those biceps, okay?)

“Yeah well…” She shrugged, forcing herself not to react when Derek stepped into the room, slowly making his way onto the bed with her. “Apparently I’m a Coley whisperer.” She pressed a kiss to the baby’s dark curls, before gently handing her to her dad. “She wouldn’t even let Stiles hold her today though…”

Derek sighed as he tucked the baby against him, his big hands dwarfing her tiny body. Lydia was not melting, okay? Hot dads with babies was not going to become a thing with her either. That wasn’t a thing.

Derek nuzzled Nicole’s hair, his dark eyelashes fluttering just a little bit.

Okay. Maybe it was kind of a thing.

“I know she had attachment issues.” He said after a moment, his eyes serious but warm. “It’s partly a wolf thing, partly a me thing I guess… I just… I need her to be safe.”

“I’m not blaming you Derek,” Lydia said softly, fighting the urge to just reach out and touch him. “I hope I didn’t overstep my bounds by coming into your home like this. I wouldn’t have without your permission, but Stiles was going to have a meltdown.” The werewolf tilted his head slightly, regarding her with confusion for a moment.

“Lydia… you’re always welcome here. This house isn’t just mine, it’s the pack’s… You don’t ever need permission. I thought you knew that?”

She half shrugged in response, not really sure what she could even say to that. In lieu of speaking, she scrambled off the bed, neatening the mess she and Stiles had made and packing up her belongings that had migrated their way upstairs.

“We fed her about an hour ago, and she’s been sleeping ever since…” Lydia mumbled to break the silence, turning to look at Derek. “I hope that doesn’t mess with your schedule or anything, but Stiles said that she doesn't have a normal nap time since she only naps with you.”

“It’s fine Lydia.”

Was Derek smiling at her? He was smiling at her. Adoringly. It was unnerving. And kind of nice actually. But she wasn’t about to examine _that_ feeling anytime soon.

“Okay, well, I better get going.” Lydia’s feet moved without her permission, bringing her over to Derek’s side of the bed. “Bye princess.” She whispered, pressing a kiss to Nicole’s feather soft hair and running her fingers down her back. As she lifted her head she realized just how close to Derek’s face she was, his eyes wide and way too pretty and only inches from her own. “Bye Daddy.” She winked at him, forcing herself to be cavalier as she ruffled his hair and strode out of the room.

“Really?” Cora was smirking at her from the top of the staircase, dressed in her dark blue Beacon Hills EMT uniform. Lydia quirked an eyebrow, refusing to even acknowledge that she had just said something slightly embarrassing to Derek Hale of all people. Cora followed her down the stairs, eyes lighting up when she spotted Stiles still puttering around in the kitchen. “Stilinski, its days like today that I wish you had werewolf hearing.” She said sagely as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned against the counter casually.

“Why?” Stiles asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Why would any sane person wish that?” Lydia needed to leave. _Now_.

“Because,” Cora paused, snagging the strap of Lydia’s bag and halting her escape. “You just missed out on the were-pup whisperer here calling Derek _Daddy._ ” Lydia closed her eyes, bracing herself and kind of hating her life. Just a little bit.

“You didn’t.” Stiles was grinning at her with undisguised glee when she finally opened her eyes.

“I hate you both. So much.” She glared at Cora. “I didn’t say it in _that_ tone Hale. Jesus Christ. You’re taking it out of context.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I’m not.” Cora replied, raising a smug eyebrow. God those Hales had awesome eyebrow genes.

“Come on, give me an instant replay Cor! Slo-mo it!” Stiles encouraged, his smirk growing more and more infuriating by the second.

“Are we twelve or-”

“Okay so, first, Derek gave a little heartwarming speech about how this is a pack house and Lydia is always welcome. And then Lydia felt the need to tell him when you guys fed Nicole and for how long she’d been sleeping.”

“Why do you say it like that? That is important information for Derek to know.” Lydia interrupted, huffing slightly when Cora and Stiles waved their hands at her.

“Anyways, then I could hear Martin over here walk towards the bed and then she whispered ‘bye princess’ and then there was this pause and she says ‘ _bye daddy’_ -”

“That is _not_ what my voice-”

“And then Derek’s he-”

“Shut up Cora!” Derek yelled from upstairs. “Just leave and go to work!”

Cora smirked proudly, sharing a look that could only mean bad things with Stiles.

“You’re no fun Der-Bear!” She called up the stairs. “Come on Martin, I’ll walk you out.” Lydia rolled her eyes but acquiesced, shooting Stiles one last glare before hefting her bag higher on her shoulder and following Cora outside. The younger Hale looked like she wanted to say something, but Lydia ignored her and hurried towards her car.

“I’ll give you twenty bucks to call Derek _Daddy_ at the next pack get together!” Cora called after her, grinning proudly as she climbed up into a brand new (and meaner looking) version of Stiles’ jeep. That suggestion did not even deserve a reaction, so Lydia just shook her head and started her own car. This was totally not a thing. Okay?

 

* * *

 

**_October 28th_ **

Everything was a thing at this point.

Lydia had been home for almost six months, and she was pretty sure she spent more time at the Hale house than she did in her own. Between pack meetings and pack get togethers and saving Stiles and Cora from babysitting duty, Lydia had made herself into a pretty permanent fixture in Coley’s life. Her work schedule was much more flexible than anyone else in the pack’s, and she was able to do a lot of her research (as well as stuff for her classes) from home.

Lydia had taken it upon herself to socialize Coley, forcing Derek to allow her to bring the baby out to the park, and grocery shopping, and down to the station to visit Parrish and the Sheriff and Derek. And it was working. Nicole allowed pretty much everyone in the pack to hold her (she sometimes freaked out with Liam, but Lydia was pretty sure that more had to do with his fear of breaking her than anything else), and she absolutely adored Melissa and the Sheriff (which opened up more babysitting options ~~Thank God~~ ). There had been more than enough awkward moments where Lydia had to explain that, no this was not her kid, no, she was not married to Derek Hale, and no, her eyes definitely did not just turn yellow, what are you talking about?

In fact, things were going so well that Derek had decided to start dating again. Everyone seemed too scared to even _talk_ about it, but the entire pack took on babysitting together (torturous, really) when Derek went on his first three dates. She was a nurse who worked with Melissa named Courtney. He seemed happy when he came home to find the entire pack waiting in his living room, half asleep with bowls of popcorn and candy wrappers strewn among them. Lydia would squeeze herself and Nicole out of the pile and hand the baby back to Derek, before interrogating him on his night. Their first date was to see a play in the park, the second dinner and a movie, and the third they went to a college basketball game. Their next date was planned for the following Thursday night, and Courtney wanted to meet Nicole.

“The entire pack can’t be here if you bring her home,” Lydia whispered, giving Derek a _look_ that she hoped conveyed the fact that she knew he would avoid having this conversation with anyone. “There should only be one babysitter here. I’d go with Melissa or your sister. They make the most conventional choices.” Derek frowned at her over the top of Coley’s head, his free hand curled around a mug of coffee.

“I don’t understand.”

“Derek,” Lydia shot him another _look_. “How would you feel if you went back to Courtney’s place and there were ten strange people lounging around acting like idiots with her child?” This time Lydia was on the receiving end of a _look_ , and it was a kind of disconcerting experience.

“I get that.” He huffed, rolling his eyes. “Do you not want to babysit? Do you have plans? I feel the most comfortable leaving Coley with you.”

Lydia absolutely did not get a warm feeling from his praise, okay? She _did not_.

“Oh, sure, let me just check.” She knew she didn’t have plans, her life had become extremely boring since college, but Derek didn’t need to know that. After making a show of looking at the calendar on her phone, she glanced up at Derek. Who was smirking at her. Like he _knew_ she had zero plans, _ever_. “I have some time on my schedule.” She said haughtily, raising her chin up. “What time should I get here at?”

“Got a lot going on next week? I don’t want to put you out.” Was Derek teasing her? Derek was totally teasing her. What an asshole.

“Fuck you asshole,” she hissed, huffing when Derek pointed to the swear jar on the counter.

“You owe at least a dollar for that one Martin.”

“Oh you know what, I suddenly remembered, I think I have something that night.” She grumbled, moving to go find her purse. An idea occurred to her though, and she spun on her heel, marching over to Derek.

“Oh really? You _just remembered_?”

“Yes, I have um soccer practice.” She mumbled, squinting at him before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet.

“Hey, what are you…” She pulled out a five and stuffed it in the swear jar, tucking Derek’s wallet carefully back into his jeans and swatting his butt playfully ( ~~because she had _never ever_ thought about touching his butt before, ok?~~ ).

“What time jackass?” Lydia smirked, backing up half a step to get herself out of his space. Derek huffed again, but it kind of looked like he was blushing a little bit beneath his beard.

“Just be here at six, Court’s gonna meet me here at six thirty.” He grumbled, thumb rubbing absently across Coley’s back.

“Where you taking her?” Lydia asked, hopping up on the counter and reaching for Coley, who had woken and been looking around for her blearily. “Hey baby.”

“Liddy,” Coley mumbled sleepily resting her head on her shoulder.

“We’re going hiking.” Derek said in a monotone voice, leaning his hip against the counter beside Lydia.

“You’re going…” Lydia trailed off, her lips curling into a smirk. “Are you taking your lady friend on a moonlit walk through the forest?” She cooed, poking at Derek’s ~~rock hard~~ stomach. “Aren’t you a romantic son of a gun?”

“You’ve been spending too much time with Stiles and Cora,” Derek grumbled, even as the corners of his mouth twitched. “You’re supposed to be the reasonable, advice giving one.”

“No, Danny’s reasonable. Scott gives advice. I’m the genius.” She watched as Derek’s lips twitched again. “Don’t even try to deny it Hale, you know it’s true.” He rolled his eyes and took a sip of coffee, allowing a comfortable silence to settle over them. Lydia combed her fingers through Coley’s hair, smiling as she thought about the impromptu dance party the little girl had started while the pack was making dinner. It was absolutely amazing, watching her learn how to walk and talk and interact with people. Nicole was amazing.

“Do you think it’s a good idea? The date, I mean?” Derek’s hesitant voice pulled Lydia from her thoughts. She considered it for a minute, wanting to be completely honest and not just brush over it.

“Is Courtney outdoorsy?”

Derek nodded, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment.

“Yeah. She said that she likes to go mountain biking with her dad. And they have a cabin on a lake in Washington.”

“Oh, well that’s perfect then.” Lydia smiled at him, reaching out and squeezing his bicep in what she hoped was a comforting manner (and had nothing to do with wanting to feel him up, ok?). “Seems like you’ve found a good match.”

“What would you do if a guy wanted to take you on a moonlit hike?”

“Derek,” Lydia raised a brow. “When have I ever expressed pleasure in traipsing through the woods? And don’t think I’d ever go a date without wearing killer heels, so a hike would be a no go.” She let her expression soften slightly. “But I think I might be a little bit different than Courtney, so don’t even think about changing your plans.”

“Bossy, bossy.” Derek mumbled, hiding a smile behind his coffee cup.

Lydia pressed her own smile into Coley’s hair, trying not to think about how easy it would be to pull Derek into a hug, to lay her head against his chest or wrap her legs around his waist. It was the first time in her life that she was holding herself back from something she _wanted_. But she knew better. She’d grown up a little, and realized that there was a lot more riding on something like this other than the potential for amazing sex. The thing was, she loved Coley, and she loved Derek. It wasn’t necessarily all-encompassing, shooting stars, soul mates kind of love, but she loved him as a person, as a friend, as a part of her pack. And she wasn’t about to screw that up just because she wanted to have a couple orgasms. And there was no way in hell she was giving up Coley. The kid was stuck with her Auntie Lydia for life. This little thing for Derek would go away. She knew it would.

 

* * *

 

**_November 3rd_ **

Lydia frowned at the whiteboard in front of her, hands on her hips and dry erase marker clenched between her teeth. Equations in her just neat enough handwriting covered the entire board, looking eighteen times more complicated than they really were. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Derek and Courtney would be back soon. It was almost eight, and Coley had fallen asleep in her playpen, curled around her favorite stuffed animal (a penguin from Scott). Lydia didn’t really want to wake her up, but if Courtney wanted to meet her, she probably should be awake. And this way she might sleep later for Derek in the morning… Coley yawned and rolled over, her dark curls flopping across her face. Yeah. She was way too cute to wake up. Smiling to herself, Lydia returned to the equation she was working on. It was almost there, _almost_ , but there was something off. Somewhere.

“Da-da!”

Lydia spun around to find Coley sitting up, penguin (Penny, to those in the know) clutched to her chest as she stared at the door. Werewolf babies. So weird. “Liddy up!” Coley held her arms (and Penny) up in the air, waiting for Lydia to pick her up. She complied almost out of habit, settling the little girl on one hip and returning to stare at her board. It would be awkward to just stare at the front door, waiting for Derek to walk through with this mystery woman.

She hadn’t met Courtney yet. Derek had been a nervous wreck and insisted on waiting for her on the porch so that Coley wouldn’t cry when he left. Lydia had considered arguing with him, because it might seem kind of shady, but had ultimately decided it was his date. He could do whatever the hell he wanted. So far, Scott had been the only member of the pack to meet the elusive Courtney, and that was only because she worked with his mother (and the rest of the pack _may_ have forced him to go on a recon mission at the hospital, but Derek didn’t need to know about that). Of course, Scott was terrible at recon, so all they knew was that she had dark hair, brown eyes and was short. Thank you True Alpha.

The front door opened slowly, letting in the sound of Derek’s low voice and soft feminine laughter. Something cold curled in Lydia’s gut, but she forcibly ignored it, instead tightening her grip on the now squirming Coley.

“Da-da!” Lydia turned and smirked at Derek, waiting until he closed the door to set Coley down. She took off across the floor, careening slightly around an easy chair before wrapping herself around her father’s legs. She was definitely way better at walking than most twenty month olds, but Lydia was pretty sure that had something to do with the werewolf genes.

Lydia forced her attention away from the ~~loves of her life~~ duo, instead focusing on the woman beside them. Who looked pretty much exactly like Braeden. Except shorter. And no scars across her throat. And probably wasn’t nearly as terrifyingly bad ass.

“Coley-Bug, can I introduce you to someone?” Lydia turned away as Derek knelt in front of his daughter, moving to press a button on the bottom of her board that would scan a copy of her work to her email (yay for government grants right?). “Nicole, this is Courtney.” She couldn’t help but watch as Courtney knelt in front of Nicole, holding a hand out to shake.

“Nice to meet you sweetheart. I like your pajamas.” Courtney was using baby talk. Lydia _hated_ baby talk. So much. She spoke to Coley in a regular voice, because she was a human, not a pet. Holding herself back from saying something stupid, she turned back to her board, seeing if she could spot the mistake she’d made before she scanned it.

“You flipped the sign in the upper right corner.” Derek’s voice came from behind her, and she could tell just from his tone that he was smirking. Fucker. And the asshole was right. God fucking damn it. She usually could make herself forget that on top of _everything else_ , Derek was actually really smart. Huffing, she stood on her tip toes and fixed it, following the mistake through and erasing a couple of things. “Courtney, this is my friend Lydia. She watches Nicole for me.” Lydia pressed the scan button before turning around with a smile plastered on her face.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Lydia held out her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you.” The other woman took her hand in a firm handshake, her brow furrowing slightly.

“You have? I didn’t think Derek was much of a talker.”

Lydia grinned, thoroughly enjoying the dirty look she was getting from Derek’s direction.

“Oh well, that is true. The few things I’ve heard from Derek have been glowing.” She forced another smile in Courtney’s direction. “And Scott, I believe you work with his mom, might have done some spying for us. We all only want the best for our Derek.”

“Please tell me you guys didn’t do anything stupid,” Derek groaned, covering his eyes with his hands.

“Oh relax Der, it’s not like we sent in Stilinski. We’re talking about Scott. He’s useless at these kind of things.” She paused, winking at Courtney. “Don’t worry, you passed.”

“Oh, well thank God for that,” Courtney drawled, making a face at Derek. And nope. That just rubbed Lydia the wrong way.

“Alright well,” She grabbed her purse off the coffee table, slinging it over her shoulder. “I’ve got to head out, work to do, drinks to share, status updates to give.” Derek glared at her, obviously picking up on the fact that the whole pack was probably holed up in the Stilinski/Mahealani/Martin house, waiting.

“Liddy! Kisses!” Coley was squirming in Derek’s arms, her little hands grabbing in Lydia’s direction. Lydia swooped in without thought, cupping the back of Coley’s head and peppering her face with kisses. The little girl giggled, reaching for Lydia’s cheeks, holding her still so she could press a sticky kiss to the tip of her nose.

“Bye Coley-Bug, be good for Daddy.” Lydia whispered quietly, before stepping back out of Derek’s space. “Bye Courtney, nice to meet you! You should meet the whole gang soon!” Courtney didn’t look all that excited about the prospect, and Lydia found a sick sort of pleasure in that. She turned to Derek, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. “Adios Glar-”

“Don’t.”

“Fine. Bye _Der-Bear_.” Lydia simpered at him, flouncing towards the door in the most gleeful manner she could muster.

“I hate everything you chose to be.” He growled after her. “And tell Lahey and Stilinski that they should know better than sneaking around in the woods at night.” Lydia just cackled and let the door close behind her.

 

“So what’s the consensus?” The entire pack (with the exception of Derek, and Parrish who was on duty) was gathered around Lydia’s dining room table. Kira glanced up from where she’d been counting votes, three stacks of ballots in front of her. It was actually pretty impressive that Derek had only noticed Stiles and Isaac hiding in the woods (unless he simply didn’t want Courtney to know just how sketchy his friends were), because pretty much the entire pack had been out there. Well, except Danny, because he wanted no interest in meddling in Derek’s love life.

“We’ve got five don’t likes, three neutrals, and two likes.” Kira announced, managing to actually look judgmental. Which - rude, Lydia _knew_ Kira and Scott always thought the best of people, but _come on_. This woman wasn’t right for Derek.

“So now what?” Isaac asked, twirling the fringe on the end of his scarf.

“Well first, you need to stop wearing scarves. It’s weird. You’re starting to get a reputation with the students.” Stiles snarled, his eyes looking a little wild.

“If you keep it up Stilinski, you’re going to have to go to the school counselor. Which would be me. Do you really want that?” Isaac replied coolly, flicking a crumbled up napkin in Stiles’ face.

“Okay - just shut up.” Cora sighed and pulled her hair into a severe ponytail. “I’ll do some recon at home, see how Derek’s feeling about her.”

“He seems to like her…” Lydia offered, shrugging her shoulders. “She annoyed me, but then again all of you annoy me so what’s the difference.”

“Rude.” Stiles hissed, eyes twitching.

“It all depends on how she was with Nicole.” Scott interjected, rolling his shoulders. “I also can’t believe we _had_ to do this tonight. I have to do a farm visit at 6am tomorrow, and we are meddling with Derek’s love life at eleven thirty at night.”

“Come on Scott, you know it’s because we’re bored. When was the last time something exciting happened around here?” Stiles whined, batting his eyelashes in Scott’s direction.

“I think I should just shift into coyote form and pretend to be rapid and chase her away from Derek’s.” Malia suggested with a shrug, lips curled into a frankly disarming sneer.

“That’s a horrible idea.” Mason sighed loudly. “You’re all horrible people.”

“I like it. I can shift into a wolf too.” Cora grinned, her eyes flickering gold for a moment.

“See now this I can get behind!” Stiles banged his hand on the table with a pleased smirk. Danny just shook his head and walked away, his bedroom door slamming shut a moment later.

“No. No one’s pretending to be rabid.” Scott ordered dryly. “Cora, Lydia, you both are going to try and find out how both Derek and Nicole feel about this Courtney. If they like her, we are staying out of it. Understand?” The alpha glared at each of them in turn until they nodded their heads in agreement. “Good. Now everyone go home. We all have work or class tomorrow.” And with that, their meeting was adjourned.

 

**_Friday, November 4th_ **

**Cora Hale (7:01am): Come over and interrogate Derek with me. He’s not on till 3.**

**Cora Hale (7:05am): Wake your ass up martin and get over here**

**Cora Hale (7:13am): Glarek isn’t even up yet, this won’t work if u aren’t here b4 he gets down here**

**Cora Hale (7:20am): LYDIAAAAAA**

**Me (7:35am): FINE I’M COMING LEAVE ME ALONE BITCH**

 

“You’d think he’d be more excited to see his three favorite girls bright and early in the morning.” Cora mused, leering at the staircase as Derek slowly made his way down.

“There’s even coffee, it seems like that alone would do something for him.” Lydia nodded sagely from her spot beside Cora at the breakfast bar. Nicole giggled in her high chair, smearing the remainder of her breakfast around on the tray.

“What is happening? Why are you both here and _awake_?” Derek groaned, pushing a hand through his hair and shuffling towards the coffee pot.

“Oh I forgot to tell you Cor, last night Derek informed me that he-” she made air quotes, “hates everything I chose to be.” Cora rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Well we all know that’s the biggest lie under the sun.”

“She was going to call me Glarek in front of my date.” Derek pouted, holding his cup of coffee in front of him like a shield. “And when I stopped her, she called me _Der-Bear_.” Cora choked on her orange juice.

“At least she didn’t call you _Daddy_!”

“Oh my god. You are both awful people.” Derek grumbled, his ears turning adorably pink. Lydia wondered briefly what it would take to make his cheeks and neck turn pink, and how far down the flush would go. ~~And stopping that crazy train right now~~.

“So _Glarek_ , what’s the consensus? Is this one a keeper?” Lydia asked, choosing to ignore Cora’s giggling and move on with the interrogation.

“That’s why you're here.” Derek had a way of making questions into statements. It was annoying. So annoying. “To question me.”

“Can you please use infliction? I’m not sure how to respond.”

“Why are you guys so involved in this? Can’t I just live my own life? I’m a grown man, I can make my own decisions.” Derek didn’t sound angry, but his words kind of hurt. Lydia felt her features harden, the mask she’d created many years ago to hide her feelings slipping into place. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nicole glaring at her father, her eyes burning bright gold. Even more surprising was the way Cora reached for her hand under the counter, squeezing once in reassurance.

“You know exactly why you big idiot.” Cora hissed, spinning on the stool so that she was positioned between Derek and Lydia. “We’re a pack. We are worried about you. Can’t you see that?” Derek scowled, his eyebrows almost touching.

“It’s not like everybody else is getting spied on when they go on dates.”

“When was the last time one of us went on four dates in a row with the same person huh? When was the last time any of us even went on a date?” Cora wasn’t exactly making the rest of the pack sound like winners, but then again… the truth hurts.

“Well that sounds like a personal problem.” Derek sneered, his arms crossing defensively, bringing back memories of alpha packs and darachs and running for their lives.

“Don’t be a dick Derek!” Cora screeched, her hands trembling with emotion. “You’re being such a fucking asshole right now. I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking, but all we want to do is fucking protect you. We are sick and tired of seeing you get fucking hurt. And instead of at least humoring us, you’re being a giant dickweed!”

Derek’s chest puffed as he took a deep breath, his eyes flashing blue briefly. Rolling her eyes, Lydia stood and marched over to Nicole, scooping her up and waltzing out of the room.

“I’m pretty sure Aunt Cora owes like ten dollars to the swear jar.” She grumbled, heading for the backdoor, attempting to get as far away from the argument she knew was coming as possible.

“IT’S STILL NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!” Derek yelled as Lydia reached the door. She knew what was coming next, and she hurried to pull a sweatshirt over Coley’s head before yanking on the doorknob.

“WHAT ABOUT NICOLE HUH? DID YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO HER IF-” Lydia stepped outside before she could hear the end of that sentence. As much as she loved the Hale’s, she did not want to get in the middle of a screaming match. That was for sure.

“Liddy?” Nicole tugged on a lock of hair, bringing her attention back to her. “Down?” Lydia nodded and walked over to the sandbox, setting her inside and then following suit.

“I wish you could talk more kid,” she mused, spinning the wheels on the Tonka truck rolled over in the sand beside her. “I’d love to hear your opinion on this. I can’t wait till you’re big enough to pass on all your daddy’s juicy gossip.”

“Liddy.” Nicole handed her a plastic shovel, staring at her until she started to dig absently in the sand.

“I like that you play in the dirt. You like to be a princess but you like trucks too. I think that’s important.” Coley just smiled happily at her, continuing whatever it was she was attempting to do, whispering under her breath to the rubber ducky that had appeared from somewhere in the sand. Lydia smiled back, reaching out to push a couple of dark curls behind Coley’s ear. “I love you Coley-Bug. I don’t think I’ve ever loved another person as much as I love you.”

“Hi Da-Da!” Coley waved at something over Lydia’s shoulder, and she sighed, knowing that Derek had to have heard that.

“Derek. Stop looming.” She ordered, surprised when he actually dropped into the sand beside her.

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly, arm wrapping around her shoulders as he kissed her hair. “I said things I didn’t mean. I was… I just… I really appreciate everything you do for me and Coley.” Lydia felt herself smile as she leaned into him, the warmth of his body comforting in a way that it probably shouldn’t have been.

“Hey,” she patted his knee. “That’s what family’s for.”

 

**_Friday, November 4th_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Asshole, Alpha McCall, D-Man, Vixen, Coyote Queen, Blue Eyes, Baby Liam, Baby Mason, Deputy Fine Ass)**

**Me (8:31am): STATUS UPDATE ON OPERATION: GLAREK’S LOVE LIFE**

**Me (8:32am): Is everyone awake?**

**Me (8:32am): text back if you’re awake**

**D-Man (8:33am): fuck you cora**

**Vixen: (8:33am): hi!**

**Blue Eyes (8:34am): I’m at work. so is stilinski. you know this.**

**Alpha McCall (8:35am): I feel like we need privacy rules in this pack or something**

**Baby Liam (8:37am): I’m with Scott on this**

**Coyote Queen (8:38am): I’m awake now you fukcign assholes**

**Asshole (8:38am): my own students’ are yelling at me because my phone is blowing up. Asshole (8:38am): I’m kind of proud actually**

**Deputy Fine Ass (8:39am): I just finished third shift you fucking shit heads. go away**

**Baby Mason (8:40am): why am i friends with any of you again?**

**Me (8:41am): good. we’re all here :)**

**Blue Eyes (8:42am): just get on with it**

**Me (8:43am): Fuck u Isaac**

**Blue Eyes (8:43am): I’d rather fuck u**

**Alpha McCall (8:44am): NO. SEXTING NOT ALLOWED IN GROUP SETTINGS**

**D-Man (8:44am): I hate you all.**

**Me (8:45am): ANYWAYS. me and L ambushed him this morning. he was kind of a dick weed. turns out, Courtney was a little jelly of Lydia. and derek doesn’t get it. cuz he’s dumb**

**Vixen (8:46am): wut did Lyd say?**

**Me (8:47am): she wasn’t there for that. me and D got kind of heated so she took the pup outside**

**Coyote Queen (8:47am): Im confused. y is she jealous of lydiA**

**Asshole (8:48am): probably because lydia is beautiful, she was dressed to the nines, and nicole loves her**

**Me (8:49am): Right. and D and L act like a married couple**

**Baby Liam (8:50am): are you sure**

**Baby Liam (8:51am): i’m really uncomfortable with this conversation**

**D-Man (8:51am): ok. keep going. are they going on another date?**

**D-Man (8:51am): nvm. I DON’T FUCKING CARE**

**Me (8:52am): for someone making like a $100/min ur awful bitchy danny**

**Me (8:53am): apparently D tried to convince her that he’s known L since she was 16, and they’re just really close**

**Me (8:54am): he’s also pissed that we were spying**

**Vixen (8:55am): so he likes her?**

**Me (8:56am): i guess… idk. not enough.**

**Asshole (8:57am): why isn’t the queen in this group message**

**Me (8:57am): she’s in the yard with D and Nic. didn’t want her phone blowing up an alerting old Glarek to out plans**

**Alpha McCall (8:59am): Ok. We’re leaving it alone for now. Got it? Just let D do his thing**

**Asshole (9:00am): Roger That**

**Me (9:01am): 10-4**

**Baby Liam (9:01am): yes sir**

**Blue Eyes (9:02am) aye aye captain**

**Vixen (9:03am): you’re so cute when you give orders Scott**

**Baby Mason (9:04am): NOT IN A GROUP MESSAGE PLEASE**

**Coyote Queen (9:05am): im going back to sleep**

**D-Man (9:10am): I hate you all. So fucking much.**

**Deputy Fine Ass (10:30am): Not as much as me**

 

* * *

**December 3rd**

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

 

Lydia groaned and rolled over in her bed, squinting at her alarm clock. Eleven thirty. What. The. Fuck.

 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

 

“Jesus Christ.” she hissed under her breath, scrambling out of bed and yanking on her robe. She half stumbled down the stairs, glaring at the closed doors of Stiles and Danny’s bedrooms as she passed them.

“Lydia. It’s me.” At the sound of Derek’s familiar voice on the other side of the door, she fumbled with the locks and yanked it open. Derek stood on her doorstep, eyes looking a little wild, Nicole curled in one arm and an overflowing diaper bag in the other.

“You okay Der?” She asked quietly, pulling him in the house by his shirt.

“Yeah I’m fine. I’m sorry, but there’s been a murder. I just got called in and Cora’s at work and I didn’t know what else to do.” He chewed on his bottom lip, looking close to tears. And Lydia was such a sucker for Derek Hale’s sad eyes.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.” She pried Nicole from his grasp, taking the diaper bag and setting it on the floor. “She can stay with me as long as you need okay?” She smoothed his uniform across his chest, tucking the bottom more neatly into the waistband of his slacks. “Me and Coley are gonna go back to bed. You just go report to the station, okay?” Derek nodded, and for a minute Lydia considered kissing him. It felt like she should. She wanted to.

“Okay.” Derek was still nodding, reaching out and palming the back of Nicole’s head and then repeated the motion with Lydia. “You’re a lifesaver.” And then he was gone.

Lydia took a deep breath before methodically locking the door, shutting the lights back off, and lugging a passed out Coley and her diaper bag upstairs. She didn’t have a crib at her house, so she placed Coley on her bed, building a wall of pillows on one side and curling herself around the other. Nicole squirmed around until she was tucked up under Lydia’s chin, her breath warm against her neck. That was the last thing she remembered before falling asleep.

 

She woke up again at five, to find Derek watching them from her doorway.

“Stop lurking Der,” she grumbled, letting her eyes float closed. “Just come get some sleep.” After a moment the other side of the bed dipped, and she could hear her pillow wall being knocked to the floor. And then there was a warm arm over her waist, and a socked foot hooking around her ankle, and Nicole let out a content little sigh. Lydia smiled, and fell back into a restful sleep.

 

Three hours later, Stiles and Danny stood in the doorway of Lydia’s bedroom, smirking over their cups of coffee.

“It’s kind of sickeningly cute, to be honest.” Stiles admitted, pulling out his phone and snapping a picture. Lydia and Derek were curled around Nicole, their legs intertwined and foreheads almost touching. Nicole was laying almost horizontally between them, her face pressed into her father’s chest and her feet digging into Lydia’s stomach.

 

**_Saturday, December 3rd_ **

**Group Message (Scotty Too Hotty, Hale 2.0, Wile E Coyote, Everybody Likes Danny, Kira :), Runt, Shit Head , Dickweed, Jordy Cakes)**

**Me (8:04am): Picture Message**

**Me (8:04am): Look what we found…**

**Me (8:04am): should I save for blackmail or instagram this shit**

**Jordy Cakes (8:07am): we just legit solved a murder involving an omega werewolf in like four hours. leave D alone**

**Me (8:07am): ur no fun**

**Shit Head (8:08am): y r u awake. it’s weekend**

**Hale 2.0 (8:10am): save it for the wedding album**

**Me (8:10am): wut**

**Scotty Too Hotty (8:11am): wat**

**Kira :) (8:11am): huh**

**Wile E Coyote (8:12am): i hat u**

**Dickweed (8:13am): im lost**

**Hale 2.0 (8:15am): do you not see the heart eyes**

**Hale 2.0 (8:15am): y do u think nic likes L so much**

**Me (8:16am): wait a minute**

**Scotty Too Hotty (8:17am): explain**

**Wile E Coyote (8:18am): wolf cubs don’t just naturally like people**

**Hale 2.0 (8:19am): remember how u said L smelled like death and he got all flustered**

**Hale 2.0 (8:20am): do u kno what she smells like to him**

**Scotty Too Hotty (8:21am): …….like the best thing on earth… oh god**

**Jordy Cakes (8:23am): I feel like this is really private information**

**Dickweed (8:24am): HOLY MOTHER FUCKING SHIT**

**Me (8:25am): Swear jar**

**Kira :) (8:25am): swear jar**

**Runt (8:26am): fuck u all for doing this right now. im so confused**

**Scotty Too Hotty (8:27am): everybody just leave derek and lydia alone. don’t text back confirmations. just go the fuck back to sleep. JFC**

 

* * *

 

**_Tuesday, December 6th_ **

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:05pm): hey beautiful banshee queen**

**Me (3:06pm): what do you want Stiles**

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:07pm): rude**

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:07pm): but i kind of need a teensy favor**

**Me (3:08pm): why am I not surprised**

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:10pm): you love me :) i was supposed to meet my dad for some shopping at 3:30, but one of my students needs help on an essay, so I can’t make it.**

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:10pm): he needs serious help**

**Me (3:11pm): ugh fine. i’m doing this for the sheriff, not you**

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:12pm): it’s the stilinski charm Lyds ;) he’s at the jewelry store on main :)**

**Stiles (Light of My Life) (3:12pm): thanks a million, i luv you forever and ever and ever**

**Me (3:13pm): whatever**

**Me (3:15pm): <3**

 

* * *

 

**_December 6th_ **

Lydia had a few theories regarding Sheriff Stilinski’s Christmas shopping at the high end jewelry store on Main Street. She figured he was picking out a set of earrings or maybe a necklace for Melissa. But she definitely wasn’t expecting to find him pacing in front of the engagement ring display case, sweat beading at his temples and eyes wide with anxiety.

“Um… Sheriff?” She asked cautiously, stepping up to the counter beside him.

“Lydia?” The Sheriff scrubbed a hand through his hair, a movement oddly reminiscent of Stiles. “What are you? I don’t - I’m not doing -”

“Stiles sent me to help you…” Lydia cut through his rambling, placing a gentle hand on his arm. “Are you looking for what I think you’re looking for?” She waggled her brows, pleased to see the Sheriff chuckle quietly.

“Yeah. Yeah, I most certainly am.” He turned back to the case of rings, staring down at them in confusion. “You’d think it would be easier the second time around. It’s not.”

Lydia patted his back in reassurance, peering at the diamonds nestled in black velvet.

“How are you going to propose?” She asked nonchalantly, smiling at the thought of how over the moon Scott and Stiles would be about being official brothers

“I don’t know yet… I was thinking about making her dinner or something?”

Lydia sent him a dubious look. The Sheriff was notorious for only being able to cook breakfast foods.

“For some reason I don’t think proposing over fried eggs is a good idea.”

“Hey! That’s not very -” The arrival of the jeweler cut of the Sheriff’s rebuttal. Lydia stepped back with a smirk, allowing the Sheriff to semi privately discuss his budget and what he was looking for. She drifted away, eying a pair of sapphire earrings and then a gorgeous Kate Spade watch.

 

“Where’s Nicole today?” The Sheriff asked sometime later, pulling Lydia out of her high end jewelry induced haze.

“Oh, she’s with Derek and Courtney. They both had the day off.”

“Ah, I see… What do you think of this Courtney girl?”

Lydia narrowed her eyes at him. The Sheriff definitely had an angle right now. She just didn’t know what it was.

“She’s fine I guess. Derek seems to like her. They’ve been dating for almost two months. Pretty serious.” The Sheriff just hummed quietly, lips pursed as he watched her. “What is it Sheriff? Why do I feel like I’m being interrogated?”

“I heard that Jordan asked you out for drinks a couple of weeks ago and you turned him down.” John said after a moment, eyes sparkling even though his face remained expressionless.

“Why...” Lydia sighed and folded her arms. “Look, Jordan is a great guy, I love him dearly. But I don’t feel comfortable dating within our pa- friend group unless it’s like… Super worth it.”

“So you mean, if Jordan suddenly grew a couple of inches, sprouted a beard and dark hair, and had a little girl you might be interested.” Fucking Sheriff was smirking at her just like his ass hole of a son would.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lydia sniffed, tossing her hair over one shoulder. God damn perceptive local Sheriff’s and their stupidly good relationships with their deputies.

“It’s okay, I’m pretty sure Jordan has accepted the fact that you’re holding out for Hale.”

“I am not - in case you didn’t notice, Derek has a serious girlfriend! And a kid!”

“A kid who’s gonna spend her childhood wishing you were her mom.” The Sheriff whispered seriously, his eyes suddenly going sad. Lydia hung her head, fighting back the sick feelings of jealousy and guilt and want that constantly roiled in her gut.

“Stop being so perceptive Sheriff,” she mumbled, her attention on the toe of her shoe scuffing at the floor. “I’m not about to be a home wrecker.”

“Oh Lyds,” she was surprised to feel John pull her into a warm embrace, his weathered cheek pressed against her hair. “I’m sorry honey. Come on, let’s pick out a ring and then you can help me plan an amazing proposal. What do you say?”

Lydia smiled as the jeweler returned with three sparkling rings on a little tray.

“Yeah. I can do that.”

 

* * *

 

**_December 24th_ **

The pack was spending Christmas Eve at the Hale House. It was 5pm on the exciting night, and Lydia was in full on hostess mode. Not that she was _actually_ the hostess. But… it was her thing, ok? She had a Santa hat resting jauntily on top of her perfectly curled hair, matching nicely with her green velvet dress and red platform pumps. She’d been at the Hale’s for an hour, helping Cora and Malia put together appetizers and pushing Derek out of the way so she could dress Nicole (in her _matching_ green and red velvet Christmas dress). Her heart was jumping giddily, she knew it, but it was the first time in a long time that she’d been this excited for the holidays.

She was rustling around in her car, putting together the bag from ‘Santa’, when Courtney pulled in. It was a pretty big deal for Derek to invite her, and Lydia was determined to be nice. Or to at least try to be.

“Hey sweetie!” She sing-songed, pulling out of her car to peck the other woman on the cheek. “You look great.”

“Thanks,” Courtney replied, raising an eyebrow towards her backseat. Which looked like the North Pole had exploded.

“Oh, these are presents for Nicole. We are keeping them in my car for you know… Santa purposes.” Lydia explained, forcing a smile. She was mostly telling the truth. Except… well the presents were for _everyone_ … she just didn’t think Courtney would understand why the whole pack would be spending the night and Christmas morning together. Whatever. “Derek’s in the house. Tell him that Santa should be appearing soon.” Lydia effectively dismissed Courtney, grinning over her shoulder at the Sheriff and Melissa pulling up the drive in Melissa’s car.

Melissa was giggling hysterically as she climbed out from behind the wheel. Walking away from Courtney, Lydia made her way over to the passenger side, opening the door for a grumbling Sheriff. Dressed as Santa.

“Oh Lord, this is better than I thought.” Lydia laughed, smiling at Melissa dressed in an adorable little elf costume. “Please tell me that he has a beard.”

“You’re evil Ms. Martin.” The Sheriff hissed, begrudgingly fitting a beard around his face. “The things I do for the women I love.” Something warm curled through Lydia’s chest as John winked at her, and she couldn’t help but grin back.

“Don’t be grumpy Santa,” Lydia sang, half skipping over to her car. “I even brought you your sack of toys.”

 

Their entrance into the house was greeted with Scott and Stiles’ cackling and Nicole’s high pitched screams of delight. It was chaos. Lydia settled herself on the arm of an easy chair occupied by Danny, watching with amusement as each member of the pack was forced to sit on Santa’s lap. Even Derek, who blushed furiously at the prospect of sitting on his boss’s lap went through with it, accepting the candy cane and stuffed wolf from Santa with a good natured smirk.

As according to their plan, Lydia was second to last, draping herself gracefully onto the Sheriff’s knee.

“What do you want for Christmas Miss Lydia?” The Sheriff asked in a falsely deep voice. Lydia sighed and pretended to think about it, before leaning in to whisper (loudly) in his ear.

“How about a hot man and a pair of Jimmy Cho’s?” She smirked at the huffs of annoyance from the werewolves in the room, clearly not amused.

“Ho! Ho! Ho!” The sheriff chuckled, and Lydia felt a slight pang of nervousness at the sight of his eyes twinkling behind the fake glasses. Oh man. This is what regret feels like isn’t it? “What would you like this young man to look like? Dark hair? Muscles? About six foo-”

“Oh Santa!” Lydia forced a giggle, covering his mouth with her hand. “Don’t you have one last present to hand out?” She pulled a little box out of the pocket of her dress, pressing it quickly into the Sheriff’s hand.

“Oh of course!” He threw his head back in a laugh, squeezing Lydia’s hand quickly before presenting her with her candy cane and a pair of Christmas ornament earrings. “I believe my little helper hasn’t told me what she wants for Christmas!”

Lydia flopped onto the couch beside Stiles, trying not to squirm with excitement as she watched Melissa curl up on Santa’s lap. Which reminded her. Crap. Nicole would be so confused if she saw _Santa_ kissing Melissa. _Fucccccckkkk._

“Coley?” She stood up quickly, scooping the little wolf up into her arms. “Come help me get some food ready!”

“Ok Liddy!” Nicole agreed easily, her arms wrapping automatically around Lydia’s neck. She ignored Derek inquisitive look, walking as fast as she could towards the kitchen. Moving quickly, she strapped Nicole into her high chair at the counter, dumping cheerios onto a plate in front of her for distraction. If she leaned to the right she could just see into the living room, where _Santa_ had just pressed the velvet box into Melissa’s hands.

Smirking to herself, Lydia pulled out her phone, clicking around so that she could face time her mom. Natalie had gotten remarried about two years ago, and had moved to LA with her TV producer husband. She was happy there, safe (and away from Beacon Hills) and surrounded by the classy sort of people she deserved. There were twin cries of _OH MY GOD_ from the living room, followed by hooting and clapping, and Lydia had a genuine smile on her face when her mom finally answered.

“Merry Christmas Mom,” she said quietly, trying to ignore the little pang of sadness that she wasn’t with her mom on Christmas Eve.

“Merry Christmas honey.” Natalie smiled. “What on earth is going on there?”

“Oh, you know, the usual… John just proposed to Melissa…”

“Oh my god!” Her mom squealed, clapping a hand over her mouth.

“Liddy! Gimme!” Coley made grabby hands, trying to steal her phone.

“Mom, Coley wants to say hi,” Lydia explained, pulling Nicole out of her high chair and into her lap. “Say hi to my Mom Coley-Bug.”

“Hi Liddy’s Ma!” Coley parroted, attempting to smear her hand across the screen of the phone. Lydia stretched it out of her reach, watching her mom’s expression soften instantly.

“Hello pretty little girl,” Natalie cooed, looking as if she wished she could pull Nicole through the phone and into her lap. “What do you want for Christmas?” Nicole frowned, her face scrunching up the same way Derek’s did when he was concentrating. It was not adorable at all. Okay?

“Malia.” Lydia said quietly over her shoulder, knowing the coyote would hear her. “Get the Sheriff out of that suit so we don’t have a Santa identity crisis please.”

“I want Liddy.” Nicole said seriously, her tone drawing Lydia’s attention back to her.

“What?” Lydia asked, brushing the mess of curls back from the little girls face.

“Santy bring me Liddy.” She repeated simply, patting Lydia’s face before her attention was suddenly caught by something in the living room. Coley began to squirm, and Lydia sighed, getting ready to set her down on the floor.

“Incoming child.” she announced, knowing that one of the wolves would be prepared to intercept the little ball of energy if need be. Nicole took off as soon as her feet hit the floor, slipping and sliding in her stocking feet across the kitchen before she reached the carpeted living room. Lydia returned her attention to her mom, rolling her eyes at the concerned look staring back at her. “Mom… don’t start.”

“Honey, I’m amazed at how good you are with that little girl.” Lydia shrugged, curling a lock of hair around her finger absently.

“Yeah… I don’t know what it is. But I really love her mom.” She felt herself smile. “She’s just a great kid. I’m lucky to get to spend so much time with her.”

“And she wishes you were her mother.” Natalie’s expression had gone serious, and Lydia felt her stomach clench in response.

“Mom no, that’s not-”

“She wants you for Christmas. That’s not what normal twenty two month olds ask for.” Natalie gave her a _look_. “What’s her father think about this? Have you told him that you want to marry him?”

“Mom!” Lydia hissed, looking frantically over her shoulder. “I do not - where did you even - he has a girlfriend!” She could feel her heart racing in her chest, and she willed it to slow down.

“Well in that case, what are you going to do when he marries this _girlfriend_ and Nicole grows up calling another woman mom?”

The bottom dropped out of Lydia’s stomach.

She hadn’t expected her instant reaction to be a mix of horror and cold jealousy, but there it was. The panic was secondary, and she tried not to look at her own pale face down in the corner of her screen. This was not what she needed right now.

“Lydia? You okay?” There was a warm hand sliding up her back to curl around her neck, and she knew it was Derek without even looking. Of fucking course.

“Yeah fine, good, just dandy.” She forced a laugh, hoping he wouldn’t question her skipping heartbeat. “Just talking to my mom.” She waved the phone in front of his face, regretting the decision instantly when he stilled it with a hand clasped around her own.

“Merry Christmas Mrs. Russo.” Derek was using his flirting voice, and Lydia glared at her mom’s smirking face.

“Oh Derek honey, call me Natalie. Don’t you just look absolutely dashing?” And her mom was using _that_ awful voice.

“Mom.” Lydia warned, feeling her left eyelid start to twitch. “Don’t start.”

“Now tell me Derek,” Natalie continued, obviously ignoring her warning. “Has my daughter been a good girl this year?” Fuck. Fuck fucking fuckety fuck.

“Oh yeah,” Derek smiled, turning his head and pressing a god damn mother fucking kiss into Lydia’s hair. “For once in her life she’s made it off the naughty list.” Fighting the urge to bang her head on the counter, she turned her glare onto Derek.

“I’m taking back all your presents.” She hissed, poking his chest.

“Lie.” He winked at her, fucking _winked_ , before turning back to her mom. “She even helped the Sheriff pick out a ring and planned his whole proposal for him.” Lydia raised her eyebrows, waiting for an explanation. “What?” Derek smirked at her. “This has Lydia Martin written all over it. You even knew to take Coley out of the room so she wouldn’t see Santa making out with Melissa.” Lydia rolled her eyes and glanced back at her phone, glaring at the gooey smile on her mother’s face. Rude. So rude.

“Alright. Whatever. Look mom, I love you, I’ll call you tomorrow. Tell Harry I said Merry Christmas. I’m hanging up now before you can embarrass me further.”

“Love you too honey,” Natalie grinned, waving as Lydia ended the call. When she turned Derek was looking at her expectantly, apparently waiting for some sort of explanation. That he was not about to get.

She was saved by the arrival of the Sheriff, who scooped her into a bone crushing hug.

“Congrats,” she murmured into his embrace, finally letting herself relax.

“Thanks Lydia,” John pulled back slightly, looking down at her with a determined glint in her eyes. “You know, I think of you as the daughter I never had. I just want you to know that.” She froze for a moment, before forcing her lips into a trembling smile. The tears (happy ones) started to fall as he pulled her back into another hug, all warm and steady and familiar.

This Christmas might be the best one yet.

 

* * *

 

**_December 25th_ **

“Lydia!” Something was pushing on her arm. Lydia groaned and tried to roll away, burying her face in her pillow. “Lydia! You promised you’d help me! Come on!” She kicked at the person annoying her, smirking at the quick intake of breath. Her smirk quickly fell away when the covers were ripped off her body, and she realized belatedly that she was laying in Derek’s bed with the man in question glaring at her. With rumpled bed head. And snowman pajamas bottoms. That matched her reindeer ones. When did this become okay?

She kind of hated herself for sleeping in Derek’s bed. It was wrong. Everything about it was wrong. But Kira and Scott were in one spare room, and Stiles and Danny and Malia were in the other. Isaac was probably in Cora’s bed, and Parrish was on the couch downstairs. Everybody else had gone home, but that left Lydia. And she wasn’t about to squeeze in with one of the couples. Because… just no. And Derek had insisted it was fine, that they were _pack_ and that he wanted her to wake up with him and play Santa anyways. And because Lydia was a glutton for punishment (and wasn’t about to give up on the opportunity to cuddle with Derek Hale), she had agreed.

But now that he was waking her up at three o’clock in the goddamn morning, she was regretting that decision. Deeply.

“Get up! Get up! Get up!” Derek was having way too much fun with this. She wished she didn’t think the little shit eating grin on his face was so hot. Because it shouldn’t be. “Come on Lyds, don’t leave me hanging.”

“Alright alright alright, calm down Hale.” She hissed, rolling off the bed and stuffing her feet into the wolf slippers Stiles had gotten for everyone. “Stop smiling at me. This isn’t funny.”

 

Parrish woke up by the time they got downstairs, openly laughing at Lydia’s disgruntled face. And it was all kind of nice actually, the three of them artfully arranging the frankly alarming amount of presents around and under the tree. Lydia filled everyone’s stockings while Derek and Jordan ate the cookies and drank the milk that Nicole had left for Santa.

It wasn't quite as nice as crawling back into bed with Derek. And it didn’t come close to the feeling of Derek’s arms around her, holding her against his chest as he whispered,

“Merry Christmas” into her ear. But Lydia wasn’t quite ready to admit that.

 

* * *

 

**December 31st/January 1st**

New Year’s Eve festivities were held at the Stilinski/Mahealani/Martin household. Which meant there was a lot of booze, a lot of people, and a lot of loud music. They had expanded beyond the immediate pack, inviting coworkers and possible love interests and friends from college. It was a nice change, being around people that didn’t necessarily know your deepest darkest secrets.

Midnight was fast approaching, and Lydia found herself suddenly faced with a dilemma. For what felt like the first time in her life, she didn’t have someone to kiss on New Year’s. She glanced around the room, kind of hoping she could scope out one of her pack members to save her sorry ass. Scott and Kira were already wrapped around each other on the couch, kissing lazily as if they were at home alone in their apartment. Derek and Courtney were in the kitchen, laughing with champagne glasses in their hands as they chatted with a deputy from the station and her boyfriend. Parrish was dancing rather provocatively with… Danny? What? Lydia shook her head, not really wanting to examine that one. Mason appeared to be pulling out all the stops in his attempt to finally woo Brett from Satomi’s pack, and Liam had some girl pushed into the corner with his face buried in her neck. _Werewolves_ man. Malia was slow dancing (to a fast song) with the girl from the coffee shop on Main, and Stiles was deep in conversation with one of the teachers he worked with. Isaac and Cora were MIA, which - gross.

Which left Lydia.

She glanced at the countdown on the TV, ten minutes until midnight. Lydia’s throat felt tight as she climbed the stairs, slipping silently into her bedroom. Nicole was fast asleep on her bed, curled around the pillow that Lydia usually slept on. She kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed beside her, leaning against the headboard and smiling weakly when Coley immediately plastered herself to her thigh.

The sounds from the party were muted here, just the low thump of the baseline and an occasional peel of laughter making its way through the floor. Lydia leaned her head back, clenching her jaw as she fought back tears. It had been a long time since she’d felt so _alone_. She hated herself for thinking this way. Her friends loved her and she loved them. There was no question about that. She wanted to be grateful for them, to be happy about being surrounded by the most loving assholes on the planet. But instead all she could think about was that she hadn’t found her _person_ yet. In the past, she’d never been worried about finding her other half. She was more concerned about her career than anything else. And she still was. That was never going to change. But sometimes she thought it might be nice to have someone to come home too. It might be nice to come home to _Derek_.

Downstairs she could hear her friends counting down, closing in on the New Year. She whispered along with them, pressing a kiss to Coley’s hair when the party below erupted into cheers. There were tears streaming down her cheeks that she was determined to ignore, instead trying to focus on the prospect of starting the New Year off with her most favorite person in the world. Coley Hale.

Only a couple minutes had gone by before her bedroom door was creaking open. Lydia wiped hastily at her tears, only to drop her hand when she realized it was Stiles.

“Oh Lyds,” he almost whimpered, striding across the room and crawling onto the bed beside her. “What are you doing up here?” He snaked a long arm around her, tugging until she laid her head on his shoulder.

“Stiles,” she said after a moment, once she was sure she could speak calmly. “When do you think the last time was I didn’t have someone to kiss on New Year’s Eve?”

“Lydia.”

“I think I was ten. Can you believe that? I’ve had someone to kiss every year for fifteen years! And this year… I just didn’t. I feel so pathetic.”

“You’re not pathetic,” Stiles murmured, rubbing his hand up and down her spine. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight. You were the life of the party. And I’m pretty sure there’s a dozen people downstairs that would have been over the moon about kissing you a couple of minutes ago. Or at any time, really.”

“I…” Lydia thought for a moment, leaning away from Stiles so she could pull her knees to her chest. “Stiles… Have you ever known me to deny myself something I wanted?” He tensed beside her for a moment, but Lydia didn’t lift her forehead from where it rested on her knees. When he didn’t answer, she continued, trying to focus on the calming pressure of his hand on her back. “Well I’m doing it now. I figured out what I want. Who I want. And it terrifies me.”

“Lydia-”

“I don’t even like kids Stiles! But I’m head over heels for this little girl and I want to raise her as my own. I’ve never wanted to be a mom. Like, I thought about it one day, maybe when I was in my thirties or something. But now, it’s all I can think about. And don’t even get me started on her father.” She sighed, curling her hands into fists. “No offense to you, but I’ve never, _ever_ wanted to be with someone the way I want to be with Derek. It’s not just physical. I mean, obviously he’s an attractive man, everyone knows that. But that kind of thing alone doesn’t usually do it for me anymore. Did you know that the asshole fucking corrects my equations when I’m working? It makes me want to throttle him. And then jump him and have hot sex right there on the floor.” Stiles snorted at that, his whole body jumping with silent laughter. Lydia couldn’t help but smile, lifting her head to look at her friend. “It’s awful you know? And I swear to god he has to know, how could he not? Shouldn’t he be able to smell it?” Stiles was muffling his giggles in his fist, so she smacked at him. “It’s not that funny Stiles! And then your fucking dad of all people seemed to figure it out! Did you hear him on Christmas Eve? He was thought he was being all cute as _Santa_ and describing my dream man! Ugh!” At this point Stiles was cackling quite loudly, but Nicole continued to sleep undisturbed. “Anyways… I’m terrified that he’s going to marry Courtney.” The boy beside her instantly quieted, his body stilling before leaning into her. “But I don’t think he feels the same way about me, and I’m not about to sacrifice our friendship and how good the pack is right now just because I’ve got this… thing.” She sighed, stroking her fingers down Coley’s back. “My mom asked Coley what she wanted for Christmas… you know what she said?” Lydia met Stiles’ eyes, which she was surprised to find were a little teary and red. He shook his head. “She said she wanted me.”

“Oh Lyds,” Stiles pulled her into a hug, rocking her slowly on the bed. “I wouldn’t write off Derek’s feelings about you completely.” He said cautiously, his voice low. “But for now, let's get our sexy selves back downstairs, do some body shots, and then show off our sick dance moves. What do you say?” She snorted against his chest, but nodded.

“Okay, okay.” She crawled over him and off the bed, straightening her dress and slipping her feet back into her shoes. She stared at her reflection in her mirror, swiping at the mascara that had smudged beneath her eyes.

“No one will know,” Stiles assured her, intertwining his fingers with hers. “Come on, I think I can hear Mr. Patron calling our names.” Lydia shook her head, but allowed Stiles to drag her back down to the party. Maybe things would be alright after all.

 

**_Sunday, January 1st_ **

**Group Message (Scotty Too Hotty, Hale 2.0, Wile E Coyote, Everybody Likes Danny, Kira :), Runt, Shit Head , Dickweed, Jordy Cakes)**

 

**Me (1:02pm): GUYS guys GUyS bros dudes gals HELLo**

**Me (1:02pm): IMPORTANT UPDATE ON OPERATION: DYDIA**

**Me (1:03pm): please don’t ignore me assholes this is actually serious**

**Kira :) (1:03pm): hi Stiles**

**Hale 2.0 (1:04pm): just get on with it**

**Dickweed (1:04pm): we’re still on this?**

**Me (1:05pm): i’m actually being 100% serious right now. so stop being assholes for like 3 seconds of your lives**

**Me (1:05pm): last night at the party, I found Lydia crying in her room at midnight with Coley**

**Me (1:06pm): she’s in love with derek**

**Me (1:06pm): she wants to be Coley’s mom**

**Me (1:06pm): she afraid that D is going to marry courtney**

**Me (1:07pm): i’ve never seen her look so broken in my entire life. you should’ve heard her talk about Derek tho. it was amazing. and the funny part is…**

**Me (1:07pm): D was listening in on the whole conversation. cause he was lurking in the hall. And he was SMILING after**

**Me (1:08pm): so NOW we need to make these two idiots happen**

**Scotty Too Hotty (1:09pm): I feel like we should have met in person for this**

**Hale 2.0 (1:10pm): of course she feels that way. she’s his fucking MATE we’ve been over this**

**Dickweed (1:11pm): well ur brother is obviously never gonna tell her cuz hes stupid**

**Jordy Cakes (1:12pm): I would yell at u all for gossiping, but D has been annoyingly happy at work today**

**Jordy Cakes (1:12pm): i miss his scowl**

**Wile E Coyote (1:13pm): i don’t see why we need to help them. they r idiots**

**Kira :) (1:14pm): OMG WE SHOULD SET THEM UP ON A BLIND DATE**

**Runt (1:14pm): is there a way to leave a group message?**

**Everybody Likes Danny (1:15pm): unfortunately Liam, there isn’t. i’m working on it**

**Me (1:15pm): we can’t forget that Derek has a fucking GIRLFRIEND**

**Scotty Too Hotty (1:16pm): NO ONE IS GOING TO PRETEND TO BE RABID TO SCARE COURTNEY AWAY. UNDERSTAND?**

**Wile E Coyote (1:17pm): ur no fun**

**Hale 2.0 (1:18pm): i’ll do some recon at home. see if d will give me any gossip**

**Me (1:20pm): good idea cora**

**Me (1:21pm): this is a v. delicate operation. we have to make them think it’s their own idea**

**Me (1:21pm): they r both too stubborn 4 their own good**

**Jordy Cakes (1:22pm): I’ll see if D will talk to me too… as much as this pains me, he won’t suspect me of espionage**

**Me (1:23pm): this is why i like you jordy cakes**

**Jordy Cakes (1:23pm): don’t call me that**

**Scotty Too Hotty (1:24pm): ok fine. but nobody do anything stupid**

**Me (1:25pm): we would never**

**Scotty Too Hotty (1:25pm): -___________-**

**Shithead (1:31pm): I’M STILL HUNGOVER U JERKS GO AWAY**

 

* * *

 

**_Friday, January 6th_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Asshole, Alpha McCall, D-Man, Vixen, Coyote Queen, Blue Eyes, Baby Liam, Baby Mason, Deputy Fine Ass)**

**Me (5:45pm): Operation: Dydia Update**

**Me (5:45pm): so…………………. um derekjustbrokeupwithcourtneyandiwasevesdropping**

**Vixen (5:46pm): OMG OMG OMG**

**Asshole (5:47pm): HOW DID IT GO DOWN**

**Asshole (5:47pm): GIVE US ALL THE DETAILS CORA HALE**

**Deputy Fine Ass (5:48pm): we are all going to hell………. but i kinda knew he was going to do it**

**Asshole (5:49pm): AND YOU DIDN’T TELL US**

**Blue Eyes (5:50pm): stilinski calm the fuck down**

**Me (5:51pm): ANYWAYS, he basically was kind of a dick. and just said he didn’t want to do it anymore**

**Me (5:51pm): it wasn’t very exciting**

**Me (5:52pm): what was exciting though**

**Me (5:52pm): was that he made a phone call right after she left**

**Asshole (5:53pm): HE DID NOT CALL LYDIA. THAT SON OF A GUN**

**D-Man (5:54pm): you are all going to hell**

**Vixen (5:54pm): OH MY GOD I AM SCREAMING**

**Alpha McCall (5:55pm): she really is -___-**

**Asshole (5:56pm): alright alright alright**

**Asshole (5:57pm): we need a plan**

**Asshole (5:58pm): this is going to be epic**

 

* * *

 

**_Monday, January 16th_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Lydia, aStiles, Derek, Isaac, Danny, My Son, BAE <3, Malia, Cora Hale, Deputy Parrish, Mason)**

**Me (7:34pm): Deaton wants to talk to us about the new magic shop that opened in town**

**Me (7:34pm): Derek, can we meet at your place?**

**aStiles (7:36pm): is he actually going to give us info or is he gonna be a cryptic little shit**

**Derek (7:38pm): Sure. what day/time?**

**Isaac (7:39pm): for once, i’m with stilinski. dr. d better not waste our time**

**Malia (7:40pm): like u have anything better 2 do**

**Me (7:41pm): when are u and parrish off at the same time?**

**aStiles (7:42pm): don’t ignore me scott**

**Lydia (7:43pm): stiles. you are acting like one of your students**

**Me (7:45pm): i’m not ignoring u. i’m just not responding**

**Deputy Parrish (7:46pm): we’re both off friday night**

**Derek (7:47pm): that should work**

**My Son (7:48pm): why do all of these group messages spiral out of control? this literally could have taken 3 texts**

**Lydia (7:49pm): what other group messages?**

**Cora Hale (7:50pm): nice one kid**

**BAE <3 (7:51pm): i’ll make cookies for the meeting <3 :)**

**aStiles (7:53pm): and kira swoops in with the save**

**Mason (7:54pm): hey danny, figure out how to leave group messages yet?**

**Danny (7:55pm): i wish.**

**aStiles (7:56pm): RUDE**

**Me (7:58pm): -______- ty kira. friday, 7pm at derek’s.**

**Isaac (7:59pm): i’m not coming if deaton’s gonna be vague and unhelpful**

**aStiles (8:00pm): well that’s his default setting so…**

**Lydia (8:02pm): don’t think i didn’t notice you guys ignoring my question**

**aStiles (8:03pm): what question?**

**Cora Hale (8:04pm): i didn’t realize u were even in this**

**BAE <3 (8:05pm): HI lydia! :) i miss you**

**Lydia (8:06pm): miss you too kira**

**aStiles (8:07pm): awwwwwwwwww how cute are you guys**

**Derek (8:08pm): if I get 1 more text message i will personally destroy each and every one of your phones**

**Derek (8:09pm): except for jordan**

**aStiles (8:10pm): what about lydia?**

**Derek (8:11pm): i’m starting with u asshole. hope u have insurance**

**aStiles (8:12pm): hey now! easy there big guy, it’s all in good fun**

**Deputy Parrish (8:13pm): STOP. TALKING**

 

* * *

 

**_Friday, January 20th_ **

**Group Message (Scotty Too Hotty, Hale 2.0, Wile E Coyote, Everybody Likes Danny, Kira :), Runt, Shit Head , Dickweed, Jordy Cakes)**

 

**Me (7:12pm): is it me, or is the UST palpable right now?**

**Runt (7:13pm): y r u txting during pack meeting? scott looks pissed**

**Me (7:14pm): come on this is lame. how else are we supposed to talk about sourwolf & queenie right in front of them**

**Scotty Too Hotty (7:15pm): stiles! stop**

**Hale 2.0 (7:16pm): the bedroom eyes r kind of gross tho**

**Hale 2.0 (7:16pm): like do they really think no one notices?**

**Dickweed (7:17pm): is using a child to flirt wrong? i think it is**

**Jordy Cakes (7:20pm): i wasn’t going to get involved**

**Jordy Cakes (7:20pm): but the footsies is a bit much**

**Kira :) (7:21pm): it’s cuteeeeeeee**

**Wile E Coyote (7:22pm): it’s annoying**

**Hale 2.0 (7:23pm): watching my brother attempt to flirt is annoying**

**Everybody Likes Danny (7:24pm): this whole thing is annoying**

**Me (7:25pm): don’t lie danny boy. u live for this shit**

**Shit Head (7:26pm): dr. deaton keeps looking at me. i’m not even doing anything wrong**

**Me (7:27pm): stop looking so guilty then**

**Runt (7:28pm): not all of us are natural born trouble makers like u**

**Hale 2.0 (7:29pm): trouble makers? what are we? 12?**

**Scotty Too Hotty (7:30pm): sounds about right**

**Me (7:30pm): and you totally are Liam. you got kicked out of your fancy private school**

**Runt (7:31pm): fuck off stilinski**

**Kira :) (7:32pm): Derek just asked me who i was texting**

**Me (7:34pm): look at his little frowny face all suspicious of us.**

**Me (7:35pm): adorable little sour wolf**

**Dickweed (7:36pm): i’m telling him u said that**

**Me (7:37pm): DON’T DO IT**

**Me (7:37pm): i’ll make a fucking scene lahey**

**Jordy Cakes (7:38pm): and he’s been distracted by Lydia stretching. sickening**

**Me (7:39pm): does he smell aroused? he looks like he might**

**Scotty Too Hotty (7:40pm): no one answer that**

**Me (7:42pm): RUDE**

 

* * *

 

**_Sunday, January 22nd_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Asshole, Alpha McCall, D-Man,Vixen,Coyote Queen, Blue Eyes, Baby Liam, Baby Mason, Deputy Fine Ass)**

 

**Me (8:06am): picture message**

**Me (8:06am): it’s too early in the morning for this shit**

**Asshole (8:07am): Lydia is already at your house? wtf?**

**Vixen (8:08am): what r they doing?**

**Me (8:10am): pretending to watch cartoons with nic but actually attempting to feel each other up**

**Me (8:11am): like just fucking make a move god dammit. i’m sick of it**

**D-Man (8:12am): you guys are way too invested**

**Asshole (8:12am): get closer and take another pic**

**Me (8:13am): NO! Glarek will kill me**

**Blue Eyes (8:15am): what was the point of this message**

**Me (8:16am): i just needed to vent asshole**

**Blue Eyes (8:17am): you didn’t seem to have a problem with me last night ;)**

**Alpha McCall (8:19am): NO. Don’t even start**

**Deputy Fine Ass (8:19am): since we seem to be talking about this again. i asked D about Lydia yesterday. He didn’t say much. But his ears turned red so...**

**Vixen (8:20am): HOW CUTE IS DEREK THOUGH? He’s like a adorable little bunny**

**Asshole (8:21am): i’m telling him you said that**

**Blue Eyes (8:22am): it’s not gonna matter, Kira is his favorite**

**Me (8:23am): tru. after Lydia**

 

* * *

 

**February 3rd**

Lydia couldn’t wipe the grin off her face. She’d heard it through ~~Stiles~~ the grapevine that Derek had broken up with Courtney. Which she shouldn’t have been giddy about. But she was. Definitely. A little giddy. Derek had started talking to her more, he’d call and text and she was over at his house at least four nights a week. They may or may not cuddle on the couch. And he sometimes walks around shirtless. And it’s amazing.

“Are you going to come in or are you going to stare at my front door for three hours?”

Lydia absolutely did not smile even wider at the sound of Derek’s voice. She _did_ not.

“You aren’t funny,” she said as she pushed the door open, letting herself in and bee lining for the kitchen. Which was strangely silent. “Hey, where is everybody?” She frowned at Derek, who was holding a beer out to her.

“Do you not look at your phone?” He asked with a smirk, one of those stupid eyebrows inching up towards his hair line. In an attempt to try and salvage her reputation, she rolled her eyes hard before pulling out her phone.

 

**_Friday, February 3rd_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Derek Hale, Cora Hale,Stiles (Light of My Life), Scott, Kira, Malia Tate, Jordan, Liam, Mason, Danny, Lahey)**

**Derek Hale (4:26pm): Dinner at mine tonight?**

**Me (4:30pm): I’m in :)**

**Scott (4:41pm): sorry, me and kira have dinner at the yukimura’s tn. next time!**

**Mason (4:45pm): me and liam have a group project for school. can’t make it**

**Malia Tate (4:47pm): visiting my dad tonight**

**Stiles (Light of My Life): parent teacher conferences, me and isaac are out**

 

“Huh…” Lydia frowned at her phone. These were obviously kind of shady excuses. But at the same time, she couldn’t really bring herself to care. “Where’s Coley?” Derek smirked slightly, his eyes light and sparkling and being generally god damn fucking distracting.

“Cora insisted that Jordan had texted her saying he missed Nicole, so she needed to bring her down to the station.”

“Oh.” Lydia squinted. There was something going on here. But she wasn't’ exactly sure she wanted to bring it up. Because Beacon Hills’ hottest DILF was cooking her dinner. “So… how’s it going?” And yes, apparently she was going to revert to awkward small talk. Because that was how things worked these days.

“I’m well, how are you doing?” Derek’s back was to her as he stirred something on the stove, but she could tell he was smirking. And of course he had to be all sexy and use proper grammar. And there might have been a sort of mesmerizing effect to the way his shoulders flexed beneath the fabric of the soft looking Henley he was wearing. Instead of answering she kind of just sighed, leaning on her elbow on the counter. Derek turned and caught her staring, but instead of looking away, she held his gaze.

One of them should’ve looked away by now.

But Derek was drifting closer, his eyes wide and dark and fixed on her face.

“You know a lot about werewolves right?” He asked suddenly, dropping heavily onto the stool beside her. Lydia frowned, pushing at the condensation gathered on her beer with the pads of her fingers.

“Um… yes? Not as much as Stiles, but I’ve read pretty much everything we got. Why?”

Derek didn’t respond right away. Instead he ducked his head and scuffed the toe of his sneaker against the hardwood.

“What do you know about the concept of ‘mates’ or soul mates with werewolves?” He asked after a moment, eyes trained on the hem of his shirt. Sometimes she liked it when he did this. It was fun, and it showed how well Derek would have performed in an educator role. But right now she knew he was just being evasive. She sighed. God help her, but she was going to play along with whatever this was.

“Well, I’ve read that wolves mate for life, and that once a werewolf has chosen a life partner they usually don’t leave them unless through death. Some literature suggests that there are predetermined mates out there for each werewolf, and that they can sense them through smell and sometimes strengthened connections elsewhere. But I had always thought that it was mostly hearsay and there wasn’t much in factual evidence to back it up.”

Derek hummed quietly, still not looking at her as he chewed on his bottom lip. After a few moments of uncharacteristically uncomfortable silence, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Well… Mates are a thing. We never really talked about it because I didn’t want a bunch of romantically inclined teenagers going overboard with it. And I kind of thought that I’d ruined my chances with everything that happened when I was a kid.” He quieted, but Lydia waited him out. She was used to Derek by now, she knew that he liked to plan his words carefully before he spoke them. “A werewolf can usually distinguish their mate by their scent. It’s not necessarily hugely different from other people, it’s just generally more appealing. And kind of the best thing ever.” The tips of his ears were turning pink, and Lydia kind of wanted to coo at him and pinch his cheeks. Or you know, kiss him. “Another way to tell would be that the wolf’s offspring would feel comfort and safety around their parent’s mate. Of course in most cases, their parents would be mates, so it’s not something that has been heavily studied.” Lydia nodded in agreement, it made sense really. She still wasn’t really sure why Derek was -

“Oh.”

It was almost embarrassing that she hadn’t figured it out sooner. All the signs were there; the way Coley was instantly attached to her, the softness in Derek’s eyes when he looked at them, his unquestioned trust that Lydia could take care of his daughter. She thought she should probably be panicking. Being someone’s _mate_ seemed like an awfully big commitment. The old Lydia, from a year ago, would probably have shut Derek down right then and there. But at the moment, she was slowly filling with something like bone deep contentment.

Derek was staring at her, his jaw clenched and his eyes full of heart breaking vulnerability.

“I know I’m not exactly a catch, and I have Nicole and all this baggage so please just tell me if you don’t want -” He stopped his uncharacteristic babbling when Lydia cupped his jaw in her hand. She smiled at the scrape of his stubble against the soft pads of her fingers. It was natural then, to lean forward and press a soft, dry kiss to his lips.

Derek was still staring at her when she pulled back, but this time he looked a little dazed, and there was a slight flush spreading across the tops of his cheeks. Feeling quite pleased with herself, Lydia hopped off her stool and sashayed over to the stove.

“If this is going to be our first date, then you better not burn the food on me Hale.” She smirked at him over her shoulder, for once not trying to suppress the happy-nervous feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was almost comical, the way Derek’s face shifted smoothly from confused to understanding and right on into cocky. His lips twisted into a little smirk, and Lydia’s body instantly began to thrum with anticipation.

“You think this is a date Ms. Martin?” His voice had dropped an octave, with more growl and gravel infused in it than usual. Lydia had heard it before. It was part of his seduction technique, paired with his predatory grin and pseudo charm that he’d pull out to try and charm the pants off of some enemy or potential ally. And when she said _try_ … well, let’s just say he’d never failed.

“Stop it.” Lydia ordered, pointing the spoon she had picked up at him in a menacing manner. “Don’t start with that.” She turned back to the pot on the stove, taking the top off and stirring what looked to be beef stew. Derek didn’t make a sound as he moved, but Lydia could feel it, her skin practically singing with desire for his touch.

“I don’t know what exactly you think you’re insinuating,” he was much closer than she’d expected, his hands suddenly like hot brands against her hips. “But judging by the way your heart’s beating, you’re lying.” His breath was warm on her neck, and Lydia shivered at the feel of his lips and tongue tracing the shell of her ear. She wanted to make it harder for him, to make him work for it. Instead she just melted against him, leaning back into the broad warmth of his chest and sighing when he buried his face in the crook of her neck.

And then he was spinning her around and tightening his grip, lips capturing hers in a kiss full of desperation and pent up want. Lydia returned it eagerly, stretching on her toes to wrap an arm around his neck and bury her fingers in his sinfully soft hair. Derek bit at her bottom lip, smirking against her mouth when she gasped before tracing the bite with his tongue. Lydia felt like her head was swimming as their tongues slid together, all she could think about was getting closer, closer, closer.

She let out a yelp when his big hands curled around the back of her thighs and yanked her up his body. And then she groaned, throwing her head back as he set her on the counter and sucked a mark on her collarbone.

“God Lyds,” he moaned against her skin when she wrapped her legs around his waist. “Do you know how many times I’ve thought about this?”

“What? Fucking me across the kitchen counter?” She’d meant it as a joke, but when Derek separated from her just enough to meet her gaze, she suddenly changed her mind. His pupils were blown so wide there was only a thin ring of green-gold around them, his nostrils flared as he breathed deeply.

“Across the kitchen counter,” he bit at her jaw. “Bent over the arm of the couch.” He sucked another mark onto her neck. “Up against a tree in the backyard.” One surprisingly smooth hand slid up her thigh, tracing shapes against her skin. “In the shower. In the backseat of my truck.”

“Fuck Der,” Lydia moaned, throwing her head back as his fingers ghosted over her panties. Her whole body was thrumming with need.

“But right now,” Derek’s hands were moving again, _away_ from all the places she wanted them so badly to be. “We’re taking advantage of my empty bed.” Lydia’s whole world tilted as she was thrown over Derek’s shoulder, his arm tight across the back of her thighs. His stupid, perfect ass was RIGHT THERE, so she smacked it, giggling when he purposefully jostled her. It was so weird. To be giggling, and laughing, and grinning during foreplay. She usually took the more serious, down to business route. But this… this was much better.

“I thought we had gotten past the caveman stage Der-Bear,” she teased, letting out something between a giggle and a squeal at the feel of Derek’s teeth biting her ass.

“I’ll give you a caveman,” Derek growled, stepping through his bedroom door and tossing her onto the bed. Lydia bounced once, still laughing as Derek crawled after her, caging her in and capturing her lips in a hungry kiss. Giggles turned to breathy moans, and she hooked a leg over his hips, pulling him closer. Derek’s stubble scraped across her cheek as he trailed kisses along her jaw, nibbling at her pulse point and making her body arch towards his.

“You’re wearing too many clothes,” Lydia whined, bunching the back of his shirt in her fists and tugging. He chuckled against her ear, the vibrations making heat coil low in her stomach. She could feel him smirk against her neck before he sat back on his heels.

“You sure you want me to take my shirt off?” He cocked his head and raised his eyebrows, looking way too hot to be legal. Lydia hated him just a little bit. But two could play this game. She looked up at him through her lashes, running her tongue slowly across her teeth. Derek’s eyes tracked the movement, and she could’ve sworn they burned bright blue for just a second.

“You sure you wanna fuck me?” Lydia purred, lifting her hand to her mouth and sucking on two fingers. Shifting her hips slightly, she pulled her skirt up higher on her waist, revealing black silk panties. Slipping her fingers from her lips with a loud pop, she slid her hand under the waistband of her underwear, letting her eyelids flutter.

She valiantly held back a self-satisfied smirk when Derek let out a low growl and ripped his shirt over his head. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her hand away from her body, chest heaving as he glared at her. “What’s the matter D? Don’t want me to take-” Her words were cut off with a loud moan, fingers twisting into Derek’s hair as he licked her through her panties.

She expected him to be rough, demanding, animalistic maybe. But Derek was gentle, reverent almost, in the way he moved. He slid her underwear slowly down her legs, his fingers caressing every inch of skin they crossed. Her skirt was next, and then her blouse, his careful fingers unbuttoning at a torturously slow pace.

“I’m gonna take care of you Lydia,” he murmured, pressing soft kisses from her belly button all the way up to her lips.

“Derek,” Lydia whimpered, her body arching off the bed, seeking friction. Derek kissed her then, his tongue lazily curling around her own as his hands slipped behind her back and undid her bra. He broke the kiss, his attention shifting lower, his mouth claiming every inch of her body. He was everywhere, his hands, his mouth, his strong body pressing against hers. Lydia didn’t know what to focus on, her hands wanting to touch and feel and… She shuddered when he rolled one of her nipples between his fingers, her hands clenching against his back. And then he was moving lower, pushing apart her thighs and just… Lydia almost lost it at the first swipe of his tongue, her left leg starting to twitch already. It’s been a while, and she’d been fantasizing about this for so long…

“Fuck Der,” she groaned, fisting her hands in his hair when he hummed against her. “This is - you’re - oh God!” Lydia forced her eyes open and pushed herself up on one elbow, needing to see, to watch. Derek looked up at her through his lashes, smirking as he pushed one finger slowly inside of her while continuing to lap at her clit. She groaned and collapsed back down onto the bed, pushing her hips up to meet him.

“You taste so good baby,” Derek moaned, adding another finger. “Look at you, you’re gorgeous like this.” She just whimpered, her eyes screwed shut as her whole body began to tense. “What’s your record baby? How many times have you come in one night?”

“Fuck.” She groaned, trying to _think_ , to focus, to answer. Jackson had been her first, and he’d been good about it, always made sure she was pleased, but it was a one and done type of thing. Her and Aiden had never really gotten that far. Stiles had been good, the summer after freshman year. They’d done some pretty intense fuck buddy marathoning that resulted in lots of orgasms. And then that TA her senior year, he’d made her come four times. Four. That was the record. “Four,” she gasped out, fighting between wanting to clamp her legs closed and pull Derek’s face closer to her.

“I’m gonna blow that out of the water,” Derek growled, before flicking his thumb across her clit. And then she was coming, her entire body shaking and arching off the bed. She felt boneless, her limbs heavy and sated as Derek pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

“Why do you still have pants on?” She grumbled, shoving limply at the waistband of his jeans. “Come on, I thought we were breaking records here.”

“So bossy,” Derek grumbled, even as he rolled off the bed and pushed his jeans and briefs down over his hips. Lord, he was beautiful. Even with her eyes half closed Lydia could see that. He was all sculpted muscles and chest hair ~~(since when did she like chest hair?)~~ and his cock was hard and leaking and she just _wanted_.

“Fuck me Der,” she moaned, trying not to beg. Because Lydia Martin _did not_ beg. Derek just smirked at her, one hand lazily stroking his dick as he dug through the nightstand with the other. After a moment he pulled out a condom, ripping the foil with his teeth before carefully rolling it on. He was looking predatory again, the lines of his body hardening as his grin turned feral.

“That what you want baby?” Lydia just nodded, sighing when one of his hands wrapped around her calf. It was like her body was desperate for his touch; she needed it.

Derek dragged her to the edge of the bed, hooking one ankle over his shoulder, and pushing the opposite leg out wide. Lydia watched through hooded eyes as he spit on two fingers, rubbing them together before slowly pushing them inside her. She pushed her hips up, forcing him deeper, faster, harder. “So eager Lyds,” he murmured, eyes focused on where his fingers slipped in and out of her body. “So good for me.”

“Fucking fuck me Derek!” She growled, letting out a whine when he pulled his fingers out.

“As you wish,” he smirked down at her, reaching for his cock and slowly guiding it inside. He pulled back out just as slow, torturing her with languid thrusts. Lydia tried to meet him, getting frustrated with the lack of leverage she had. But he felt so _good_. And she wanted more.

“Harder!” It was supposed to be an order, a command. Instead it was way too breathy, more like a whimper or a whine. But Derek listened anyway, leaning over her body stretched out on his bed and sucking her bottom lip into his mouth. His hips started to snap against hers, his eyes fluttering shut as a litany of swears slipped between his lips. Lydia wrapped her arms around him, one hand tangling in his hair, the other scratching down his back, seeking purchase in the shifting muscles.

It wasn’t going to last long, she could see it in the way he was losing control. Derek managed to slip one hand between their bodies, just pressing his thumb against her clit as he continued to thrust inside of her. A thought seemed to occur to him, and he reached for a pillow, stopping the movement of his hips just long enough to lift Lydia up and place the pillow under her ass.

“What are you-” He swallowed the rest of her words down as he pushed back in. “Oh fuck.” Lydia hissed between her teeth, her eyes screwing shut and her head falling back against the bed. He hit that _spot_ every time, heat and pleasure and tension curling low in her stomach almost too much. But Derek seemed to be feeling it too, there was a bead of sweat rolling down his neck and he had an elbow braced above her shoulder, his forehead leaned against hers. They weren’t really kissing anymore, just breathing and moaning into each other’s mouths.

“You gonna come for me Lyds,” Derek panted, letting out a whimper as she wrapped her leg around his waist, pressing her heel against his ass. “Come on, I’m not gonna, you gotta come for me baby.”

“Really?” Lydia huffed, attempting to glare at him. “You think I’m going to come on- Derek!” Even as her world was exploding around her, she could feel him grinning against the new bite mark on her neck. But it slipped away as he fucked her through it, collapsing on top of her with her name a whisper on his lips.

“I knew you’d be an awesome lay…” Lydia mused a few minutes later, tracing her fingers up and down Derek’s bare chest.

“I knew I could get you to come on demand,” Derek shot back, his arm circling tight around her so she couldn’t roll away. “Fucking hot is what that was.” Lydia couldn’t help but smirk before pressing a line of tiny kisses across his collarbone.

“Yeah, it was.”

 

**_Friday February 3rd_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Asshole, Alpha McCall, D-Man, Vixen, Coyote Queen, Blue Eyes, Baby Liam, Baby Mason, Deputy Fine Ass)**

**Me (9:38pm): Houston we have a problem**

**Me (9:39pm): like for realsies**

**Blue Eyes (9:40pm): that is not a real word**

**Me (9:41pm): shut up, you’re sitting right next to me you don’t need to talk rn**

**Vixen (9:42pm): what’s the matter cora?**

**Me (9:44pm): so……….**

**Me (9:44pm): our plan worked really REALLY well**

**Me (9:44pm): & I returned to the scene bc i need to get ready for my shift. AND WE CAN SMELL THE FUCKING SEX OUT HERE. ITS DISGUSTING. **

**Asshole (9:46pm): so? what do you want from us**

**Blue Eyes (9:47pm): what she’s trying to say is that you couldn’t PAY us to set foot inside there. we have a child with us**

**Alpha McCall (9:48pm): i’m not going in there**

**Coyote Queen (9:49pm): me either**

**Me (9:50pm): stilinski this was all your idea. so you better get your ass over here so u can go inside and retrieve my uniform**

**Asshole (9:51pm): ARE YOU HIGH? DO YOU THINK I HAVE A DEATH WISH? NO WAY!**

**Me (9:51pm): ur doing it**

**Asshole (9:52pm): NO**

**Me (9:52pm): yep. pack vote. all in favor of stiles respond was an I**

**Asshole (9:53pm): come on this isn’t fair. don’t you have an extra uniform at work?**

**Blue Eyes (9:53pm): I**

**Coyote Queen (9:53pm): I**

**Baby Liam (9:53pm): I**

**Deputy Fine Ass (9:54pm): I**

**Vixen (9:54pm): I**

**Baby Mason (9:54pm): I**

**D-Man (9:54pm): I**

**Alpha McCall (9:55pm): i’m not voting**

**Me (9:55pm): doesn’t matter, majority rules. stilinski get your ass over here stat**

**Asshole (9:57pm): i HATE you all. u will PAY**

 

“Is there someone here?” Lydia asked, not caring quite enough to move from her spot on Derek’s chest. They were both silent for a moment, the sound of footsteps downstairs filtering through the open bedroom door. Derek started to shake, and when she glanced up at him, she found him holding in giggles. “What is the matter with you?” She whispered.

“Just listen.”

With an eye roll, Lydia complied, focusing her hearing towards the footsteps coming up the stairs.

“ _Don’t kill me don’t kill me don’t kill me. How is this even fucking fair? Yes let’s pick on the lowly human and make him deal with this. Just because some fucking people lack the planning skills I have to deal with this shit. Fucking werewolves and their fucking noses. Although I can kinda smell it at this point. Jesus fucking Christ. Oh my god the door’s open. Why is the door open? I don’t need to see this. OK. Okay_.” It sounded like Stiles was pacing at the top of the stairs. Lydia bit down on her fist to keep from laughing, turning her head to make eye contact with Derek. Which only made things worse, because he looked about three seconds away from completely losing it. “ _Maybe I should just run for it. But that might make me look like prey. And then Derek will eat me. And I will die because fucking Cora needs her damn uniform. Maybe I should just crawl on the floor. Oh my god. This is so fucking unfair. Why is this my life? I’m twenty five years old God dammit._ ” 

“Fuck Lyds,” Derek moaned loudly, grinning proudly to himself. Lydia’s eyes widened. What the hell was he doing?

“ _Oh my god!_ ” Stiles hissed out in the hall. “ _No no no no no…_ ” Derek nudged her with a raised eyebrow. Where they really going to do this?

“Yeah Der,” she groaned, shivering as he traced his fingers down her spine. “Give it to me good _Daddy_.”

“ _OH MY GOD!!!!”_ Stiles yelled, flying by the bedroom door in a whirlwind of flailing limbs. “ _THIS IS SO UNFAIR. I’M GOING TO KEEP YELLING TO DROWN YOU ASSHOLES OUT. DEREK YOU KNOW I’M FUCKING HERE YOU PIECE OF SHIT I KNOW YOU HEARD ME AND I DON’T CARE IF YOU HAVE A FUCKING EXHIBITIONIST KINK OR WHAT-FUCKING-EVER BUT THIS IS CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT AND I DO NOT DESERVE THIS! SO FUCK YOU! AND YOU TOO LYDS, WHO THE FUCK - JUST WHY? OKAY? WHY!!!!”_ Lydia started to laugh as Stiles continued to rant, burying her face in Derek’s broad chest. His hands were warm and sure as they swept up and down her bare back, and she could feel him shaking with silent chuckles beneath her.

“Here he comes,” Derek warned, pulling the sheet up towards her shoulders. Lydia rolled over and sat up, smirking as she stared out into the hallway.

“ _I’m running back by the door so you two better be fucking decent! Try to calm yourselves for like point three seconds and refrain from scarring the Stiles any farther!”_

“I hate it when he speaks in the third person.” Derek grumbled, causing Lydia to snort out another laugh. She couldn’t remember _ever_ having a giggling fit while naked in bed with an attractive man. It seemed like it should feel wrong, or weird, or just stupid. But it wasn’t. She was happy. And she was having fun. And in a few minutes she was probably going to be getting her brains fucked out again.

“Are you serious right now?” Stiles was glaring at them from the hallway, what must’ve been Cora’s uniform crumpled in his hands. “This is not funny. I am scarred for life.”

“Really Stiles?” Derek asked, and Lydia could tell by the tone of his voice that he was smirking. Proudly. “I’m pretty sure you orchestrated this whole thing… you should tell Cora not to leave her phone hanging around.” Stiles blanched, his eyes growing impossibly wide.

“I don’t know what-”

“If I were you, I’d warn all your little friends not to gossip about my personal life anymore.”

Stiles gulped, and then suddenly he was gone, clattering down the stairs and slamming out the front door. Lydia twisted around until she could see Derek’s face, letting her hands rest on his chest because she was allowed to touch now.

“What was that?” Derek shrugged, his lips lifting into a one sided smirk.

“The pack’s been trying to play matchmaker for us. They’re idiots.” Lydia just looked into his eyes for a minute, thinking back over the months since she’d come home. She wondered if they would’ve even gotten together without the pack. Probably, but maybe not so soon, not so easily. She slid one hand up his neck, cupping his jaw.

“They’re our idiots though,” she smiled, pleased to see a matching fondness in Derek’s expression. “And now I have you.” She closed the distance between them and pressed a soft kiss to his lips, sighing at just how _right_ it felt. Derek smiled against her lips, his big hands pulling her more firmly into his lap.

“You’ll always have me.”

* * *

 

**_Friday February 3rd_ **

**GROUP MESSAGE (Stiles Stilinski, Scott McCall, Kira Yukimura, Malia Tate, Danny Mahealani, Jordan Parrish, Isaac Lahey, Little Sis, Lydia Martin, Liam Dunbar, Mason)**

 

**Me (11:31pm): picture message**

**Me (11:31pm): hashtag after sex selfie**

**Lydia Martin (11:32pm): ;)**

**Little Sis (11:34pm): WE DO NOT NEED TO SEE THIS**

**Stiles Stilinski (is the best) (11:35pm): I TOLD YOU HE KNEW! YOU’RE THE IDIOT WHO LEFT THEIR PHONE OUT**

**Scott McCall (11:36pm): we have RULES about sexting in group messages**

**Scott McCall (11:36pm): whatever this is falls under that. god. no manners**

**Kira Yukimura (11:37pm): you guys are super hot though**

**Isaac Lahey (11:38pm): amen to that**

**Little Sis (11:39pm): gross kira**

**Jordan Parrish (11:40pm): atta boy D! ;)**

**Danny Mahealani (11:41pm): does this mean we can stop with the annoying group messages now?**

**Mason (11:41pm): i fucking hope so. everyone go away**

**Lydia Martin (11:43pm): well, we have better things to do anyways**

**Me (11:43pm): like have sex**

**Me (11:44pm): so no more texting.**

 

* * *

 

**16 Years Later**

 

“Mom I’m hungry.”

“Mom, come on, I thought we were getting pizza.”

“Dad said we could have Chinese food.”

“Shut up Chuckie I want pizza.”

“Don’t call me Chuckie!”

“Oh, _sorry_ Charles.”

“I don’t call you Nathaniel all the time!”

“That’s ‘cause I’m awesome.”

 

“Boys.” Lydia glared at her sons as best as she could from her position crouched at the top of the staircase. “Can you at least make yourselves useful and listen in on what’s going on down there?”

“Dad says it’s rude to use our powers to eavesdrop.” Charlie announced, even as his twin immediately fell into position beside Lydia. It was clear, even at twelve years old, that Charlie had the moral compass of his father (and his godfather, Scott), always following the rules. Nate on the other hand seemed much more like Lydia (and his own godfather, Stiles), often content to break the rules to reach his goal. Like spying on his dad. “Why aren’t you down there anyways?”

“Shhhhh,” Lydia waved her hand at Charlie to make him be quiet.

“Dad and Uncle Scott are interrogating them.” Nate whispered. “Uncle Scott wants to know why a senior is interested in his freshman daughter.”

“Oh no.” Lydia felt herself smirking. One would think that Derek would be the hard ass, but Scott McCall was a little over protective of his kids. Look up daddy’s girl in the dictionary, and there’s a picture of Lexi McCall.

“Dad just asked Justin what his plans for the future are, and if they involve Nicole.” Nate’s face had split into an evil grin. Yeah. Maybe it was time to reduce the Uncle Stiles bonding time.

“Moooommmmm, we shouldn’t be listening in!” Charlie whined, kicking at the railing.

“You just want Dad to be on your side so we can get Chinese!” Nate hissed, his green eyes narrowed on his brother. The two were nearly identical, with the same dark hair and kaleidoscope eyes. But Charlie had Lydia’s nose, a little smaller, softer, while Nate had Derek’s. Nate’s hair was shaved close on the sides and spiked up into a short mohawk in the middle, while Charlie’s was cut in the same style as his father’s. They both were werewolves, and Lydia was grateful for that. She could only imagine what it would be like to have to be the only ‘normal’ one among three siblings.

“Mom. What are you doing?”

Lydia gasped as she turned around, her eyes lighting up as they landed on Nicole and Lexi.

“You girls look absolutely beautiful,” she whispered, climbing to her feet and reaching out to trace Nicole’s cheek like she used to do when she was a baby. Kira smirked knowingly from behind them.

“How are the dads doing?” She asked, nodding towards the staircase.

“I think Uncle Scott is explaining something about castrating pigs? And it sounds like Dad just took his gun out.” Nate offered, grinning cheekily at his sister.

“Oh my god.” Both girls looked horrified, moving to race down the stairs and save their prom dates.

“Not so fast,” Lydia blocked their escape, hands on her hips. “You two are _not_ going to race down there. Those boys can handle themselves.”

“Mommmmm,” Coley groaned, with an eye roll that only a Hale could pull off.

“Hush. Stand tall, shoulders back, chins up,” she tapped on both girl’s chins, glaring at Coley and winking at Lexi. “Now smile.” Lexi’s grin was easy and genuine, her brown eyes sparkling and her cheeks dimpling. Coley on the other hand…

“Get rid of the murder eyebrows kid. I know you’re a mini Derek but come on.” Stiles was smirking at them from halfway up the stairs. “And Lexi, I think you might need to rescue Mitch. Your dad is not allowing me to rescue my own foster son, and it’s kind of pissing me off.” Lexi’s eyes immediately ventured into bug-eye territory, and Lydia had no choice but to step aside and let both girls rush down the stairs.

Shaking her head, Lydia followed them down, one arm looped with Kira’s. Her eyes found Derek right away, hands braced on the kitchen counter, biceps almost bursting out of his deputy’s uniform. He lifted his head when she walked in, an almost feral smirk crossing his face when they made eye contact. Lydia couldn’t help the tingle that ran down her spine, her toes curling in her shoes. Yeah. Her husband was fucking hot.

“You done terrorizing Coley’s boyfriend?” she asked, running a hand down his arm. “They’ve been together for six months, I think you can ease up a bit.”

“But babe,” the smirk was replaced with something akin to panic. “It’s _prom_. What did you do after prom?” Derek’s voice had dropped to a concerned whisper. Lydia just smirked at him. She’d gone to her senior prom with some frat boy she’d met on a campus tour. And they may or may not have gotten busy in the backseat of his car. But Derek didn’t need to be reminded of that.

“Didn’t you go with that college guy?” Kira asked, looking all innocent (she was anything but). “You guys like disappeared halfway through.”

“She can’t go,” Derek hissed, shaking his head. “Or I need to go with her. They probably already have a cop on duty. I’ll just take over for whoever it is. I can even ride with them in the limo.”

“Dad no.” Coley glared at him from the living room, her hands curled into a death grip on her date’s arm. Derek’s expression softened immediately when his eyes landed on her.

“Coley,” he whispered. “You look… you are… I…”

“You look just like Laura,” Cora said softly, having just walked in the front door. “Just like Laura.” Nicole looked like she might cry for a minute, her jaw clenched hard in the same way Derek’s always used to. It was silent for a moment, and then Nate and Charlie charged at their sister, wrapping their arms around her and leaning their heads on her shoulders.

“Oh NICOLE!” Nate cried.

“YOU’RE SO BEAUTIFUL!” Charlie sobbed.

“HASHTAG BLESSED”

“I WANNA BE PURTY LIKE YOU WHEN I GROW UP”

“YOU’RE LIKE A PRINCESS”

Lydia sighed and shook her head. God forbid they actually be cute.

“Get away from me you little turds,” Nicole growled, shoving her brother’s hands away from the fabric of her dress. “You’re both so obnoxious.”

“And on that note,” Stiles interrupted, clapping his hands together. “Your limo is here! Let’s get this show on the road!”

 

Lydia tucked herself into Derek’s side, watching from the porch as Coley, Justin, Mitch and Lexi joined their friends in the limo.

“Make good choices Coley Bug!” She yelled, laughing at the last horrified glimpse of Coley’s face she got before the car door closed. Derek chuckled behind her, his breath ruffling her hair.

It was weird, how things worked out. She had a great job, a hot husband, three beautiful kids and a pack of wonderful friends that had turned into the most loving family a girl could ask for. Tilting her head back, she pressed a kiss into the underside of Derek’s jaw.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Derek murmured, spinning her around and kissing her mouth. Yeah. Life was pretty damn perfect.

“Gross.”

“Aren’t you guys kinda old for that?”

“I’m scarred for life.”

“Oh that’s nothing kids. You have no _idea_ the things I’ve seen.”

“Shut up Stiles.”

 

 

These days Lydia Martin Hale was still asked the same three questions when she was out and about in Beacon Hills.

_Yes, these were her three kids. Yes, she was still happily married to Derek Hale. No, no one’s eyes turned yellow, what are you talking about?_

 

Her answers were just a little bit different. 

**Author's Note:**

> wow! You made it this far, congrats! Haha just kidding (kind of). Thank you for reading, and I hope some parts of this at least made you laugh (sorry about the poorly worded sex). Feel free to come hang out with me on [ tumblr](http://werewolvesandarrows.tumblr.com), where I mostly cry about Derek Hale :)
> 
> XOXO - Beth


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